Thanks in advance for reading the novel below; I will try to make this as quick as possible. I have an old and air-leaky house from the 1920s. In times of warm weather, there is an intermittent (but not constant) sewer gas smell. It is coming from a hall closet upstairs, next to the bathroom. It is never too much to handle but often noticeable. This closet has a false floor, and underneath it the bathroom drain line connects to the main standpipe. The standpipe jogs about 12" horizontally via a couple 90° elbows right at this location as well. There are no signs of moisture, mold, or leaks. I am wondering, if the stand pipe threads on the elbows may allow minor air flow into the house causing the smell? And if so, what's the best solution? Is there a mastic or sealant I could simply wipe on the pipe joints to resolve this issue? Tearing out original pipes and plaster/lathe walls seems like too big a task for a minor odor now and then. Ideas? Thanks!

Can anyone help me out. I am starting to winterize my outside garden faucets. Today I disconnected my hoses and and turned off the interior shutoff valve to the faucets. I had read that you should release the remaining water in the pipe by turning a bleed valve at the shutoff valve. On the one shutoff valve there is a small knob but when I turned it it started squirting water everywhere and I don't think it was water that is trapped in the pipe since it appeared to be endless. What exactly did I turn? If it isn't for releasing water in the pipe then what exactly is it for? Do some valves not have anything that lets you drain excess water from the pipe? Is it good enough if I just get a cover for the faucet and maybe put some type of pipe insulation around the pipe?