Curry Odor - Vaportek Restorator

[Grant D]

I bought this machine a few months back with the 3x industrial cartridge. I have used it in 3 apartments so far. The first was a studio apartment, probably about a 400 sf unit with curry odors. The tenants that caused the odor had been gone 5 years according to the PM but it still stank. I only left it in that one for 8 hours, but it did nothing to the odor.

The next time I ran it in a unit for 24 hours (1 br apartment, under 800 sf), didn't work there either. So this past weekend I had a curry odor unit to try to deodorize so I ran it there the entire weekend, over 48 hours. Today PM tells me it still smells like curry.

Is this unit just not up to the job or what am I doing wrong? The unit says it is for up to 20k cubic feet and an 800 sf apartment is less than half that.

Do I need a larger ozone machine for these kinds of jobs, and if so are they safe to leave in a vacant apartment with other occupied units next door, above and/or below?

 

[Burtz]

most important thing is don't let them make this your problem

everything in involved with curry has to be cleaned and scrubbed like inside all the cabinets and drawers walls need to be washed every sq inch needs to be done. pretty much like a smoke damage

 

[juniorc82]

Im glad you gave a review , I was thinkin of buying a vaportek. Not now :shock:

 

[Grant D]

In the most recent case, entire unit was painted and scrubbed down before I set up the unit. It's not my problem, I just don't get paid and they likely won't ask me to help them with odor issues any more. I might look at the larger Shark model but if this didn't work not sure that would either.

 

[tim]

Is the vaportek a ozone generator? I have a small vaportek that uses a cartridge. Never use it much because I use a large ozone generator for odor removal. I charge $100 a day plus pickup and delivery. I have several real estate agents that refer me just for that service. Works like a charm but no one can be in the home, including pets and live plants have to be removed.

 

[Heathrow]

So Tim, how does your OG go with curry odour?

 

[J Scott W]

Vaportek works fine if the sources of the odor have been dealt with. But that can be pretty tricky. As mentioned above, this may require a top to bottom scrub including duct work, filters and air handling system.

With the single cartridges, you have to be sure and supply good air movement. They work better in warmer and drier conditions and when placed rather high with a room, say on a table rather than down on the floor.

The rating of treating 20,000 Cu Ft is the absolute maximum for light odors. I find the for average odors 10,000 to 12,000 cu. ft. is more realistic. For a very persistent odor like this one - been around for 5 years - even 10,000 cu. ft. might be a lot.

Be sure the cartridge is fresh. It is good for 270 hours of being opened. Even if it has a strong fragrance, the active ingredients may be used up. Be sure to seal it up tightly when not in use.

 

[John Buxton]

Scott got a big part of it... duct work, exhaust fan above the stove, you have to clean every square inch of the unit. Ozone is for smoke not curry. I dont quat about vaportek

 

[Bill G. Martin]

That Curry smell is nasty stuff......sometime the odor is embedded in the painted walls..... I agree.....dont let their problem become yours....sometimes best to cut bait and go fish somewhere else

Bill in Central Florida

 

[tim]

Cant say Ive ever used ozone on curry odors, have used on meth lab houses that were uninhabitable. Ozone replaces oxygen with ozone in pourous material. Hard surfaces would need to be cleaned and possibly sealed on bad odors, thermal fogging may also work on areas that ozone cant reach. But number one step is remove the source of the odor, clean, then ozone and/or thermal fogging.