Office odour investigation — identifying and resolving office smells

Office smells fall into recognisable categories: musty / earthy (microbial growth in HVAC condensate, cooling coils or wall cavities); chemical / solvent (new materials, cleaning products, infiltration from adjacent uses); sewer / drain (compromised traps, defective extract); food / kitchen (cross-contamination via shared ductwork or open returns); and exhaust / combustion (intake contamination from car-park or street-level sources). Each has a distinctive investigation path.

The investigation starts with a structured interview — when does the smell appear, where is it strongest, what makes it better or worse. Continuous TVOC monitoring across the affected zone and the suspected source establishes whether there is a measurable peak co-located with the complaints. Where the smell suggests microbial origin, we sample surfaces, cooling coil condensate and humidifier water; where chemical, we take sorbent-tube samples for laboratory speciation.

Source tracing combines pressure mapping (which zones are positive, which negative, where infiltration paths run), HVAC inspection, and progressive isolation — closing dampers, sealing returns, monitoring the response. The combination almost always closes on a specific, removable source within one to two weeks.

Remediation is source-specific — coil clean and biocide, humidifier overhaul, intake relocation, material removal, drainage repair. The investigation closes with follow-up monitoring and an occupant check-back to confirm the smell has stayed resolved.