What's that smell?
As owner of the Donomar Inn in Jeffersonville, Vermont, on occasion I've had the chance to sit up, take notice and say, "What's that smell?" Of course, as parents, we often get this chance as well, but that's another story for another time! My latest olfactory tale is one that created an abundance of anxiety, but luckily had a happy ending.
My Godson and his girlfriend came to visit for the weekend. He hadn't been to the Inn since he helped us move in two years ago so upon arrival I took them on a tour. We made quite a few aesthetic changes and we finally had furnished all six guest rooms as well as the library, dining room and sun room. He remembered a huge 1865 Victorian house, empty, just begging for some love and attention.
As we went from room to room commenting on the furnishings, colors and such, we made our way to the Isabel McAllister Suite (we've named all the rooms after our Irish or Scottish ancestors). When we walked into the room, a nasty odor hit our noses. It was a smell I thought I had smelled before in the little old farmhouse we used to live in. Dead mouse! But how? But where? In the wall? In the floor? I couldn't believe it. It was one thing to have a dead mouse in the wall at our other house, but here? At our beautiful Inn? What would guests think? My experience with this sort of thing is you usually have to wait it out, but it could take weeks for the smell to go away. It was one week before Christmas and we had a full Inn through New Years. Also, this was our Suite, our biggest, most expensive room. Needless to say I was beside myself!
After losing a whole weekend's sleep and searching and searching I started to think maybe I was wrong about the cause of the smell. After all, the smell of a dead mouse has a striking similarity to the smell of propane. There just happens to be a gas fireplace in that room. Upon closer examination, and sticking my nose all around the fireplace, I determined there must be a gas leak. So Monday morning I called our propane company to have them send someone over as soon as possible. It was Monday and we had guests coming in Thursday so no time to waste!
Luckily they were able to send someone right away. When the technician arrive I brought him to the Suite. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, he couldn't smell anything. Interesting that someone who works with propane can't smell it, but what can you do. I assured him there was an odor in the room. One of the first things I asked him was if the propane tank outside could be empty. Usually you can smell propane when the tank is low, but we both agreed that because we were on automatic delivery the tank couldn't possibly be empty. So he set himself to the task of tracking down the leak. Now bear in mind that we are not yet sure whether the smell is propane or, I hate to keep saying it, a dead mouse.
That poor technician took everything apart and did every test possible and couldn't find a leak. We finally decided to shut the gas off and if the odor went away there was a leak. If the odor remained, well, you know what that meant! So he shut the propane off and left. I patiently waited several hours and finally went into the Suite and low and behold, no smell! At least we were sure it wasn't a mouse. So, the next morning I called and requested the same technician once more. Now it was Tuesday and we had guests coming Thursday.
The technician arrived, took more things apart, did more involved tests and still couldn't find the leak! He decided he would have to replace a really big, important part in the fireplace, that there must be so minute a leak it's not showing up. So he took out the part and said they would order it and deliver it overnight and he would come back Wednesday and put the new part in. Well, unfortunately the part was back-ordered and wouldn't be in by Thursday. Luckily the guest coming in to that room is my mother-in-law and she is very understanding and said she didn't need the fireplace. Wow, how lucky!
The following week, again we had someone coming in to the Suite. This time it was a wonderful couple that stayed in that same room the year before for their anniversary. Their anniversary! Of course they would want the fireplace to work! How can you celebrate your anniversary with no kids, a soak in the Jacuzzi, a glass of wine and no fireplace! I frantically called to find out when the part would be in. They said they were going to send someone to go pick up the part at the manufacturer so it could be put in before our guests arrived on Thursday. Late Wednesday the technician showed up to make sure of the part numbers before someone drove to get the part. Again he took everything apart and couldn't find any leaks.
So, I have guests coming the next day, I decide, in case the part doesn't come in time, that I will just turn the propane back on and hope the smell doesn't bother our guests. I turned the propane on, lit the pilot and stood back. I turned the fire up and the flames burst to life as I stood there looking at the beautiful, warm, smelly fireplace and all of a sudden the flames went out! Wondering what could be happening, I re-lit the pilot. The pilot lit, stayed on for a few mintues then went out again. I try to re-light it again and now it won't light. After hurtling myself to the floor and crying like a baby ( not really) it finally comes to me and I get up and walk, like a zombie, down the stairs and outside to the propane tank. I flip the lid, peer at the gauge and, yup, you guessed it, no propane. No propane!
How can the tank be empty? We are on automatic delivery! Of course by now the propane company is closed for the day so I have to wait until tomorrow, Thursday, the day my guests arrive! So, I call first thing Thursday morning to have propane delivered and I'm told we are scheduled for a delivery the following week. After uttering a few off-color remarks we agree that someone will deliver propane in an hour. A short time later the propane tank is full, the pilot is lit, the fire is burning, the happy couple is sipping wine in their nice warm, cozy, odor-free, room celebrating their anniversary!
My Godson and his girlfriend came to visit for the weekend. He hadn't been to the Inn since he helped us move in two years ago so upon arrival I took them on a tour. We made quite a few aesthetic changes and we finally had furnished all six guest rooms as well as the library, dining room and sun room. He remembered a huge 1865 Victorian house, empty, just begging for some love and attention.
As we went from room to room commenting on the furnishings, colors and such, we made our way to the Isabel McAllister Suite (we've named all the rooms after our Irish or Scottish ancestors). When we walked into the room, a nasty odor hit our noses. It was a smell I thought I had smelled before in the little old farmhouse we used to live in. Dead mouse! But how? But where? In the wall? In the floor? I couldn't believe it. It was one thing to have a dead mouse in the wall at our other house, but here? At our beautiful Inn? What would guests think? My experience with this sort of thing is you usually have to wait it out, but it could take weeks for the smell to go away. It was one week before Christmas and we had a full Inn through New Years. Also, this was our Suite, our biggest, most expensive room. Needless to say I was beside myself!
After losing a whole weekend's sleep and searching and searching I started to think maybe I was wrong about the cause of the smell. After all, the smell of a dead mouse has a striking similarity to the smell of propane. There just happens to be a gas fireplace in that room. Upon closer examination, and sticking my nose all around the fireplace, I determined there must be a gas leak. So Monday morning I called our propane company to have them send someone over as soon as possible. It was Monday and we had guests coming in Thursday so no time to waste!
Luckily they were able to send someone right away. When the technician arrive I brought him to the Suite. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, he couldn't smell anything. Interesting that someone who works with propane can't smell it, but what can you do. I assured him there was an odor in the room. One of the first things I asked him was if the propane tank outside could be empty. Usually you can smell propane when the tank is low, but we both agreed that because we were on automatic delivery the tank couldn't possibly be empty. So he set himself to the task of tracking down the leak. Now bear in mind that we are not yet sure whether the smell is propane or, I hate to keep saying it, a dead mouse.
That poor technician took everything apart and did every test possible and couldn't find a leak. We finally decided to shut the gas off and if the odor went away there was a leak. If the odor remained, well, you know what that meant! So he shut the propane off and left. I patiently waited several hours and finally went into the Suite and low and behold, no smell! At least we were sure it wasn't a mouse. So, the next morning I called and requested the same technician once more. Now it was Tuesday and we had guests coming Thursday.
The technician arrived, took more things apart, did more involved tests and still couldn't find the leak! He decided he would have to replace a really big, important part in the fireplace, that there must be so minute a leak it's not showing up. So he took out the part and said they would order it and deliver it overnight and he would come back Wednesday and put the new part in. Well, unfortunately the part was back-ordered and wouldn't be in by Thursday. Luckily the guest coming in to that room is my mother-in-law and she is very understanding and said she didn't need the fireplace. Wow, how lucky!
The following week, again we had someone coming in to the Suite. This time it was a wonderful couple that stayed in that same room the year before for their anniversary. Their anniversary! Of course they would want the fireplace to work! How can you celebrate your anniversary with no kids, a soak in the Jacuzzi, a glass of wine and no fireplace! I frantically called to find out when the part would be in. They said they were going to send someone to go pick up the part at the manufacturer so it could be put in before our guests arrived on Thursday. Late Wednesday the technician showed up to make sure of the part numbers before someone drove to get the part. Again he took everything apart and couldn't find any leaks.
So, I have guests coming the next day, I decide, in case the part doesn't come in time, that I will just turn the propane back on and hope the smell doesn't bother our guests. I turned the propane on, lit the pilot and stood back. I turned the fire up and the flames burst to life as I stood there looking at the beautiful, warm, smelly fireplace and all of a sudden the flames went out! Wondering what could be happening, I re-lit the pilot. The pilot lit, stayed on for a few mintues then went out again. I try to re-light it again and now it won't light. After hurtling myself to the floor and crying like a baby ( not really) it finally comes to me and I get up and walk, like a zombie, down the stairs and outside to the propane tank. I flip the lid, peer at the gauge and, yup, you guessed it, no propane. No propane!
How can the tank be empty? We are on automatic delivery! Of course by now the propane company is closed for the day so I have to wait until tomorrow, Thursday, the day my guests arrive! So, I call first thing Thursday morning to have propane delivered and I'm told we are scheduled for a delivery the following week. After uttering a few off-color remarks we agree that someone will deliver propane in an hour. A short time later the propane tank is full, the pilot is lit, the fire is burning, the happy couple is sipping wine in their nice warm, cozy, odor-free, room celebrating their anniversary!
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