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Can cigarette smoke linger in fairly new heating ducts, and stink up an upstairs apartment?

I live in an upstairs apartment with my girlfriend, whom has a sensitive nose and acute asthma. Our apartment is basically a standard house split in two. The lady downstairs was a smoker, and smoked inside for awhile, even though she wasn't supposed to.

Everytime she started smoking, my girlfriend would get a horrible headache. After a long process of emailing the landlord, and talking to the downstairs tenant, she finally started smoking outside.

Everything was fine, until recently when the heat kicks on because it is near winter time. Now everytime the heat turns on, she gets a headache. I have smelled it myself, so its not just her. We asked the landlord if we could clean the vents and buy a new filter (at our expense), but she was nice enough to send a heating man over to check it out. According to the heating man, everything was fine because it was a newer furnace, but im not sure how accurate his "tests" were (but then again im not the expert). I guess they also went into our apartment (without prior notice and no one was home) and tried blaming it on my girlfriends candles. I really doubt thats the reason but whatever.

Basically, I'm just wondering what kind of tests may have been taken, and if there is anyway to fix the problem on our own. The landlord is playing the subtle "you guys are idiots" card, but she hasn't actually been there. Also, I would like to confirm that the cigarette smoke can go through the vents (pretty sure it can, considering we can smell whatever they are cooking downstairs).

My appologies for the long question, but thanks for your time and responses :)

Update:

What do you even mean by "yup so dont smoke?" Neither of us smoke.....

4 Answers

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  • Susan
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Yes. The nicotine covers the walls and the inside of the vents. I also live in a basement apt. and my roommate and I smoke. It gets into everything, we have to wash the curtains every 3 months because they get discoloured. But a downstairs apt doesn't have a cold air return vent like a top floor does. The lady upstairs smokes those cheep Indian reserve smokes. We can really smell that when the furnace comes on. Ask your other tenant to keep the furnace room door closed. That's the only way to cut down the amount of smoke your getting.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    specific that is enormously a risk, particularly whilst any abode windows or doorways are opened. I stay in an upstairs house that does no longer enable smoking indoors. There are quite a few thoughtless people who think of only stepping outdoors the door to smoke is physically powerful sufficient. yet what finally ends up taking place is the smoke drifts around and lingers interior the air. Then whilst myself or the different interior sight neighbor opens their door, the smoky air gets pulled into the home by using transformations in air tension outdoors as against interior. My wager could be that throughout the time of your undertaking something comparable is taking place. The ventilation gadget on your construction could additionally be permitting the smells into your house in the adventure that your associates are smoking interior and turning on their followers (like the single interior the range hood and one interior the washing room, in the adventure that your construction has those) that could clarify why the smells are shifting into your place. they're meant to be vented outdoors yet there could desire to be something broken interior the gadget it is making the air circulate the place that is not meant to. the two way, if that is sufficient of a hassle, you're able to be able to desire to the two communicate on your neighbor approximately it, or your landlord in case you do no longer experience delicate chatting with whoever is inflicting the smoke.

  • Pink08
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    The downstairs neighbor is smoking in her apartment again because it is too cold and she doesn't want to go outside. Yes, in a set up like yours where a house has been split into apartments, cooking odors and cigarette smoke will come through the vents upstairs.

    You might have to find another place to live if you can't stand the smoke. It's unfortunate, but nobody can keep track of the neighbor 24/7 to see if she is smoking inside. (I'm sure she is.)

  • 1 decade ago

    yup so dont smoke

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