Strange house smell

El_robbo1980 · 12-06-2021 10:47pm #1

Not exactly a DIY question but as I’m thinking of ripping open walls it’s not far off. The last two weeks a strange smell has appeared in the hall of our house. Seems strongest in the morning and rises through the house. It’s like a strong beer/yeast/cannabis kind of smell. Almost like it’s coming through the floor (tiled concrete subfloor). I’ve cleaned rainwater drains outside and checked utility boxes. Any idea what could be the problem?

Needles73 · 12-06-2021 11:06pm

El_robbo1980 wrote: »

Not exactly a DIY question but as I’m thinking of ripping open walls it’s not far off. The last two weeks a strange smell has appeared in the hall of our house. Seems strongest in the morning and rises through the house. It’s like a strong beer/yeast/cannabis kind of smell. Almost like it’s coming through the floor (tiled concrete subfloor). I’ve cleaned rainwater drains outside and checked utility boxes. Any idea what could be the problem?

Any chance it’s an electrical burning smell ? I’ve seen old light fittings and kitchen appliances emit odours ?

dazberry · 12-06-2021 11:20pm

Needles73 wrote: »

Any chance it’s an electrical burning smell ? I’ve seen old light fittings and kitchen appliances emit odours ?

We had this issue with an old light fitting, it took a while to figure out, basically related to what type of bulbs we used at various times, and the heat they generated. The smell was foul.

listermint · 13-06-2021 8:15am

Did you buy a new door mat or anything plastic. My wife bought a anti slip bath mat for the kids smelled the bathroom out for weeks til I figured it out what it was. Straight in the bin immediately smell gone.

Wanderer78 · 13-06-2021 8:48am

El_robbo1980 wrote:

Not exactly a DIY question but as Iâ€™m thinking of ripping open walls itâ€™s not far off. The last two weeks a strange smell has appeared in the hall of our house. Seems strongest in the morning and rises through the house. Itâ€™s like a strong beer/yeast/cannabis kind of smell. Almost like itâ€™s coming through the floor (tiled concrete subfloor). Iâ€™ve cleaned rainwater drains outside and checked utility boxes. Any idea what could be the problem?

Semi-d or terraced, is it your neighbours?

chooseusername · 13-06-2021 8:48am

Any new plants around outside?
New neighbours puffing or home brewing?
If nothing has changed inside the house it may be from outside.

BillyBiggs · 13-06-2021 8:55am

El_robbo1980 wrote: »

Not exactly a DIY question but as I’m thinking of ripping open walls it’s not far off. The last two weeks a strange smell has appeared in the hall of our house. Seems strongest in the morning and rises through the house. It’s like a strong beer/yeast/cannabis kind of smell. Almost like it’s coming through the floor (tiled concrete subfloor). I’ve cleaned rainwater drains outside and checked utility boxes. Any idea what could be the problem?

Has the house ever been flooded? Whether it has or hasn’t is sounds like mould.

Physiologybrah · 13-06-2021 8:56am

A yeast smell you say? Are all the occupants of the house taking regular showers, particularly the female occupants?

Wanderer78 · 13-06-2021 9:03am

Physiologybrah wrote:

A yeast smell you say? Are all the occupants of the house taking regular showers, particularly the female occupants?

What's the story with all the arseholes on boards this morning!

poppers · 13-06-2021 9:07am

El_robbo1980 wrote: »

Not exactly a DIY question but as I’m thinking of ripping open walls it’s not far off. The last two weeks a strange smell has appeared in the hall of our house. Seems strongest in the morning and rises through the house. It’s like a strong beer/yeast/cannabis kind of smell. Almost like it’s coming through the floor (tiled concrete subfloor). I’ve cleaned rainwater drains outside and checked utility boxes. Any idea what could be the problem?

Could be a Dead mouse in the cavity. It will give Foul smell for a couple of weeks.

kadman · 13-06-2021 9:57am

poppers wrote: »

Could be a Dead mouse in the cavity. It will give Foul smell for a couple of weeks.

Dead mouse is definitely a foul fishy type of smell

KaneToad · 13-06-2021 10:00am

Needles73 wrote: »

Any chance it’s an electrical burning smell ? I’ve seen old light fittings and kitchen appliances emit odours ?

I'd second this. Turn on all lights for 30 mins. Turn off. Then go and sniff each fitting.

Physiologybrah · 13-06-2021 10:44am

kadman wrote: »

Dead mouse is definitely a foul fishy type of smell

Mods have a word please.

greasepalm · 13-06-2021 10:52am

So its only in the hall and what about presses under the stairs or cloakroom.
Dead shrimp in the curtain rail prank.

chooseusername · 13-06-2021 11:59am

Physiologybrah wrote: »

Mods have a word please.

Have a word with yourself!

14-06-2021 7:58am

poppers wrote: »

Could be a Dead mouse in the cavity. It will give Foul smell for a couple of weeks.

Yes, I had this in two houses.

chooseusername · 14-06-2021 8:08am

El_robbo1980 wrote: »

Not exactly a DIY question but as I’m thinking of ripping open walls it’s not far off. The last two weeks a strange smell has appeared in the hall of our house. Seems strongest in the morning and rises through the house. It’s like a strong beer/yeast/cannabis kind of smell. Almost like it’s coming through the floor (tiled concrete subfloor). I’ve cleaned rainwater drains outside and checked utility boxes. Any idea what could be the problem?

Have you got a rarely used downstairs cloakroom by any chance?

El_robbo1980 · 14-06-2021 8:11pm

chooseusername wrote: »

Have you got a rarely used downstairs cloakroom by any chance?

Have an “understairs storage area” which is basically just used for shoes etc. It’s bare concrete in there but zero smell at all (including the shoes/boots). What are you thinking?

El_robbo1980 · 14-06-2021 8:13pm

dazberry wrote: »

We had this issue with an old light fitting, it took a while to figure out, basically related to what type of bulbs we used at various times, and the heat they generated. The smell was foul.

No I don’t think it’s that. House is two years old, all fittings fairly new. Smell is worse in the morning when all lights have been off all night

In saying that, the ESB did install a new smart meter on the outside wall near where the smell seems to eminate from

El_robbo1980 · 14-06-2021 8:14pm

listermint wrote: »

Did you buy a new door mat or anything plastic. My wife bought a anti slip bath mat for the kids smelled the bathroom out for weeks til I figured it out what it was. Straight in the bin immediately smell gone.

I know that smell - and it’s very similar! But nothing new like that was bought.

Greentree_uk · 14-06-2021 8:16pm

we had a smell downstairs too, when taking up the floor we found the old toilet waste pipe. no cover just laminate floor boards over the hole in the original floor boards...... I mean why did the previous owner live like that for the last 20 odd years...

El_robbo1980 · 14-06-2021 8:16pm

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Semi-d or terraced, is it your neighbours?

Semi-d, definitely not the neighbours. Plus it’s on the side of the house furthest from their house

El_robbo1980 · 14-06-2021 8:18pm

Greentree_uk wrote: »

we had a smell downstairs too, when taking up the floor we found the old toilet waste pipe. no cover just laminate floor boards over the hole in the original floor boards...... I mean why did the previous owner live like that for the last 20 odd years...

You would wonder! It’s tiles on concrete though in a new build so I would hope that’s not the case. Although having seen some of the work in some houses you could never say never!

chooseusername · 14-06-2021 8:44pm

El_robbo1980 wrote: »

Have an “understairs stoflap?rage area” which is basically just used for shoes etc. It’s bare concrete in there but zero smell at all (including the shoes/boots). What are you thinking?

A cloakroom , if not used much may get smelly as the trap(s) dry out ,but that would be a fairly recognisable sewage smell,
so sounds like that's not your issue.
The dead critter in the cavity seems to be the consensus here.
Have you painted the area in the last couple of months?

El_robbo1980 · 14-06-2021 9:19pm

chooseusername wrote: »

A cloakroom , if not used much may get smelly as the trap(s) dry out ,but that would be a fairly recognisable sewage smell,
so sounds like that's not your issue.
The dead critter in the cavity seems to be the consensus here.
Have you painted the area in the last couple of months?

Last painted there two years ago. As for the dead animal theory, I removed a double socket in that area and ran an inspection camera into the cavity between the insulated plasterboard and wall. Couldn’t see anything at all

If the smell is coming in through the hall door, there’s a rainwater drain outside. But I’ve had a good rummage in there, completely free of debris and filled with water. Also gets a blast of Jeyes fluid every couple of months. So strange that it just appeared out of nowhere after two years.

greasepalm · 14-06-2021 10:14pm

Did it only make its presence known after the meter fitting.

Hal1 · 14-06-2021 10:33pm

It might be nothing, but get a carbon monoxide alarm.

El_robbo1980 · 14-06-2021 11:27pm

greasepalm wrote: »

Did it only make its presence known after the meter fitting.

Meter was fitted about a month ago. Smell arrived about two weeks ago

El_robbo1980 · 14-06-2021 11:29pm

Hal1 wrote: »

It might be nothing, but get a carbon monoxide alarm.

Have them throughout the house but not specifically in that area. Are you thinking of something in particular?

Forgot to mention that the first day we had the smell I called out Gas networks to carry out a leak check but that was fine

ParkRunner · 14-06-2021 11:40pm

Have you just one bathroom in the house, upstairs? Are the outside bins nearby?

Stigura · 15-06-2021 3:27am

El Robbo; Have you a 'Fishing Tackle' shop within reach?

I Don't mean it could have anything to do with such a place. Just an old rat catchers trick. Might be a step in the process of elimination

El_robbo1980 · 15-06-2021 9:13am

ParkRunner wrote: »

Have you just one bathroom in the house, upstairs? Are the outside bins nearby?

Outside bins aren’t near and don’t really smell (for bins)

There’s a downstairs bathroom also although again I had a look in those drains and all fine. If it was that kinda sulphur/egg smell I’d be thinking of drains but it’s definitely different?

El_robbo1980 · 15-06-2021 9:14am

Stigura wrote: »

El Robbo; Have you a 'Fishing Tackle' shop within reach?

I Don't mean it could have anything to do with such a place. Just an old rat catchers trick. Might be a step in the process of elimination

I can certainly get to one? What’s the trick?

I was half thinking maybe a fox decided to mark its territory near the door as I’ve heard fox urine can have quite a “weedy” smell that lasts for ages

Ninthlife · 15-06-2021 9:18am

El_robbo1980 wrote: »

I can certainly get to one? What’s the trick?

I was half thinking maybe a fox decided to mark its territory near the door as I’ve heard fox urine can have quite a “weedy” smell that lasts for ages

Stay up all night sitting in that area and see when the smell begins to appear, try see if there are any noises or activity at the same time

CoBo55 · 15-06-2021 9:30am

I'd concentrate on where the new meter is, it seemed to start after that. I wonder did a mouse get down into the cavity around one of the cables?

chooseusername · 15-06-2021 10:03am

El_robbo1980 wrote: »

No I don’t think it’s that. House is two years old, all fittings fairly new. Smell is worse in the morning when all lights have been off all night

In saying that, the ESB did install a new smart meter on the outside wall near where the smell seems to eminate from

Meter installers may have compromised a v.c.l. behind the insulated plasterboard.

Alun · 15-06-2021 11:21am

chooseusername wrote: »

Meter installers may have compromised a v.c.l. behind the insulated plasterboard.

He said his house is only two years old, so fitting a new smart meter would have simply involved unscrewing the old one and installing a new one onto the backboard in the existing meter box. It's hard to see how anything would have been damaged doing that.

However, it might be worthwhile opening the meter box and having a good sniff inside. It's always difficult describing smells, but if it is a burning smell, there's a possibility the terminals on the new meter weren't tightened correctly causing arcing. I read that there were several cases of this happening in the UK smart meter rollout, some even causing fires.

CoBo55 · 15-06-2021 12:16pm

Alun wrote: »

He said his house is only two years old, so fitting a new smart meter would have simply involved unscrewing the old one and installing a new one onto the backboard in the existing meter box. It's hard to see how anything would have been damaged doing that.

However, it might be worthwhile opening the meter box and having a good sniff inside. It's always difficult describing smells, but if it is a burning smell, there's a possibility the terminals on the new meter weren't tightened correctly causing arcing. I read that there were several cases of this happening in the UK smart meter rollout, some even causing fires.

That's a very good suggestion. Something similar happened to a former boss of mine, he noticed a strange smell when the oven was on it was in the hall/porch area. Eventually the power went the connection was burned away completely at the big ESB fuse. He was very lucky as the house could have easily been burned down.

El_robbo1980 · 15-06-2021 2:03pm

I’ll definitely have a look at that, many thanks for the suggestion

Cyloncity · 20-06-2021 10:17pm

Could any of the sockets or fixtures be made of bakelite? They are known to give of a fishy smell if they overheat and overtime?

Esel · 21-06-2021 12:09am

Cyloncity wrote: »

Could any of the sockets or fixtures be made of bakelite? They are known to give of a fishy smell if they overheat and overtime?

Often a lampholder with an old-style bulb that generates a fair bit of local heat.

Strange house smell

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