Mystery Smell in my Home. Help!!

boccers

Hi All.

Ok, I think I need to set this all out quite carefully so apologies for the essay below.

This is my current predicament. About 9-12 months ago, a mystery smell started in my house (the kitchen). Since then I have been trying to figure out exactly what the smell is but to no avail.

I live in an old tenament block of flats in Edinburgh (i'm on the first floor). As I understand it these old flats have central pipes running down the centre (into which sewage/drain water from showers baths etc runs).

The kitchen is at the back of the flat and only has connection to another set of pipes out the back of the building (not the central set of pipes) but that only runs off water from the kitchen sink and boiler.

So, the smell, is like a bad organic smell (rather nasty). It doesn't smell like actual sewage. This smell is at its worst first thing in the morning and slowely dissapates throughout the day. Sometimes it is still there in the evening, sometimes not. If it is there in the evening then it is less intense or not there altogether in (same all day at the weekends too, less intense or not there).

With this in mind, my initial thoughts are it could be slow running water up the central pipes (ie everyone gets in their showers on a weekday morning and a blockage somewhere causes the water to back up). With that in mind I had Scottish Water come and check the main pipes on the street. they were fine. I had a plumber come in and check the pipes in the communal stairwell. they reported no blockages (still cost me £140 for the pleasure of them telling me that).

I also spoke to the tenants down stairs previously who advised that they used to have a really bad smell but they had a plumber in who placed a cap on a pipe (in their bathroom which is generally below our kitchen) and they no longer had the smell. Unfortunately i still do.

Ive also had environmental health in who dont want to seem to do anything.

So, ive ruled out a few possibilitites (ie pipe blockage, slow running water). Im also ruling out a dead animal as, well, simply they wouldnt just smell in the mornings and for a year.

So, any thoughts?

I'm really at a complete loss as to what it could be. Some thoughts are (a) a crack in a pipe somewhere or (b) damp.

If it is a crack in a pipe then the plumber is recommending cctv of the pipes. Im just worried i'll be stuck with another large bill and be no further forward. If it is damp then would the smell come and go like that?

Any thought would be greatly appreciated. I just want to have a smell free house and dont mind paying for someone sorting the problem.

Help!!

Thanks

Gorgeous_But_Grumpy

Are you sure it is not your washing machine/dishwasher? Common complaint that can easily be cured by washing soda and running your machine empty once a month on its hottest temperature.
Too many people only run a 40c wash and that is not hot enough to properly clean out the pipes. Also put some washing soda down the sink with boiling water occasionally.
Good luck

boccers

Gorgeous_But_Grumpy wrote: »

Are you sure it is not your washing machine/dishwasher? Common complaint that can easily be cured by washing soda and running your machine empty once a month on its hottest temperature.
Too many people only run a 40c wash and that is not hot enough to properly clean out the pipes. Also put some washing soda down the sink with boiling water occasionally.
Good luck

Thanks for the suggestion. My washing machine is in a cupboard in the hallway so not in the kitchen. Also, I don't have a washing machine (I am it).

I have put soda crystals down the sink and poured boiling water down but to no avail. I'll do the washing mascine on a high temperature, maybe that will help just seems strange as it is not in the kitchen

Leif

What kind of smell? Some cowboys left my bathroom soil pipe open, and the smell was rotten cabbage i.e. fetid, but not sewage/excrement. I also have a whiff from the sink, which is musty, so I'll follow the earlier suggestions.

boccers

Leif wrote: »

What kind of smell? Some cowboys left my bathroom soil pipe open, and the smell was rotten cabbage i.e. fetid, but not sewage/excrement. I also have a whiff from the sink, which is musty, so I'll follow the earlier suggestions.

Its a strange smell, hard to describe. Smells I would say like rotting garbage. Its quite an organic kind of smell as opposed to sewage. It just kind of happened all of a sudden and wasnt as a result of any workmen doing any work to my flat or anything.

It really is doing my head in. Ive tried most things and, save for ripping up all the floorboard (I had a few up, could see anything etc) im at a loss

Leif

boccers wrote: »

Its a strange smell, hard to describe. Smells I would say like rotting garbage. Its quite an organic kind of smell as opposed to sewage. It just kind of happened all of a sudden and wasnt as a result of any workmen doing any work to my flat or anything.

It could be gases from the main sewer. Another source of bad smells is dead animals. We had an appalling smell in one company. Turns out a wee mouse had croaked beneath the floor.

LandyAndy

Difficult to say without the smell under our nose:) but failing electric wiring can also give a very noticable 'fish glue' sort of smell.

boccers

LandyAndy wrote: »

Difficult to say without the smell under our nose:) but failing electric wiring can also give a very noticable 'fish glue' sort of smell.

Thanks! I must admit, ive been on hands and knees and everything sniffing around but the smell seems to come from everywhere (I know it will come from probably one place though)

andygb

Leif wrote: »

It could be gases from the main sewer. Another source of bad smells is dead animals. We had an appalling smell in one company. Turns out a wee mouse had croaked beneath the floor.

Good shout for a dead animal. We had a dead rat in our cellar once, and the smell was incredible, but before we found it, the smell would permeate the living room - absolutely vile:eek:

boccers

andygb wrote: »

Good shout for a dead animal. We had a dead rat in our cellar once, and the smell was incredible, but before we found it, the smell would permeate the living room - absolutely vile:eek:

Hmm, but would a dead animal take a year to rot away and only smell in the mornings?

I think i'm ruling a dead animal out. The sewarage system is the explanation. I reckon sewar gas coming up the pipes but i am unsure how to check that theory out.

tigeress289

Did the plumber check all your pipework in in the kitchen, for any sign of a leak? Does the ground floor flat get the smell. Is there any sign of the smell outside in the morning when you say at its worst. Any idea if there is a mainhole outside near to your kitchen. You need to isolate options, simple elimination to start, put the plug in the sink tonight and half fill with water and try to cover the overflow on the sink with a piece of cloth. In the morning if the smell is there, then its not the sink waste letting in the smell. Also if you have an outside vent in the kitchen, cover that next and repeat. This will stop any smell coming in. You need to eliminate causes one by one. Try the sink first, I wont send a £140 bill. Gently,gently and hopefully we can all sort this.