A320 CREW WAS DISPATCHED WITH ALL LAVATORIES MEL'ED INOP; BECAUSE THE LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTORS WERE NOT WORKING. THE CAPT THOUGHT HE DETECTED AN ODOR AND HAD THE CABIN AND LAVATORIES CHKED BEFORE LEAVING THE LAX AREA.

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PRIOR TO DEP; MAINT ACTION REQUIRED DEACTIVATION OF SMOKE DETECTORS IN ALL LAVATORIES; AND ALL LAVATORIES WERE INOP'ED AND TAPED SHUT PER MEL MAINT ACTION. PAX AND CREW WERE ADVISED OF THIS CONDITION. DURING CLBOUT FROM LAX; PASSING 7000 FT MSL; I THOUGHT I DETECTED A MOMENTARY ODOR OF UNDETERMINED ORIGIN; BUT WASN'T SURE. ASKED FO; WHO SAID HE HAD SMELLED SOMETHING MOMENTARILY AS WELL. AS A PRECAUTION; I TOLD FO TO CONTACT PURSER; AND HAVE ALL AREAS OF THE ACFT; INCLUDING THE LAVATORIES; CHKED FOR ANY POSSIBLE SOURCES OF FUMES. I ADVISED ATC OF THE SIT; ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED LEVELOFF AT 10000 FT MSL; DELAY VECTORS; AND AT ATC SUGGESTION; A TURN BACK TOWARDS LAX AS A PRECAUTION. MASKS WERE DONNED AS A PRECAUTION; THOUGH THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY CONDITION THAT WE WOULD REQUIRE THEM. DELAY IN LAX AREA WAS DUE TO TIME NEEDED TO OPEN ALL LAVATORIES AND INSPECT THEM; INCLUDING WASTE CONTAINERS AND COMPARTMENTS. A DEADHEADING ACR FLT CREW MEMBER AND FLT ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED NO ODORS OR ABNORMAL CONDITIONS ANYWHERE IN CABIN OR LAVATORIES; AND NO FURTHER SMELLS WERE DETECTED IN COCKPIT AFTER THE INITIAL MOMENTARY INDICATION. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY VISIBLE SIGN OF ANY ABNORMAL SIT; EITHER ON INSTRUMENTATION OR PHYSICALLY. DELAY WAS STRICTLY PRECAUTIONARY; TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A PROB. UPON DETERMINING THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE; FUMES; OR UNUSUAL ODORS ON THE ACFT; AND NO ECAM OR OTHER INDICATIONS OF AN ABNORMAL SIT; DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE. SUBSEQUENT FLT AND LNDG AT SFO WAS NORMAL AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. CREW INQUIRY; ADVOCACY; COORD; COM; AND RESPONSE WERE EXCELLENT; AS WAS ATC ASSISTANCE. BECAUSE NO EMER; IRREGULAR; OR ADDITIONAL PROCS WERE USED; AND BECAUSE THE ATC MANEUVERING WAS NOT DONE UNDER EMER AUTH BUT RATHER AS A PRECAUTION; NO RPT WAS FILED.