Funky Bath Tub Smell! Please Help!

Hi folks - I am hoping you can help me out. I have a corner jetted tub unit in my master bath that when after it is used(the next day) gets a smell that comes out of the ventilation grate that essentially smells like damp sheetrock dust. I have looked with a flashlight under the unit and see no evidence of a leak and in my dinning room ceiling directly below the unit there is no evidence of a leak either(no water stains). The bathtub is directly against an exterior wall on the rear of the house that gets direct sunlight in the afternoon. The smell does eventually go away after a day or two...until we use the bathtub again. It is typically worse in the summer months, than winter.

This is my theory. I believe there is water that pools in the pipes and the pipes sweat under the heat of the day in the confined space..and this nominal amount of water gets the dust damp and the smell is generated. Or, there is in fact a small leak...one that allows just enough water out to cause the smell, but not enough to produce puddling, staining or other obvious signs of leakage. We see no mold either..and would believe the smell would be consistent if mold were present.

I'd love to be able to get rid of the smell or get someones take on what is causing it and how to address it. Thanks for your time, thoughts and suggestions!

How Long have you had that corner tub in place for?

Welcome Dean:
You might try a half cup of bleach circulated through the pipes for a few minutes after you have used the tub and before emptying it. That should get any mold or bacteria out of the system and help it smell better. You may need to repeat the process every 3 months.
Glenn

Hey There - Thanks for the feedback. The tub has been in place since 2001. It only started doing this a couple years ago. I wonder if the bleach treatment might solve the problem. I will give it a go...Thanks!

Yea let us know what happens. You probably got some mold in there.