Indoor air quality HELP

[silver pigeon69]

Yes good point Webber, I had a smell of something resembling a dead fish it turned out to be bad wiring in a ceiling lamp

Where some of the old plastic light fittings made of fishbone?

[ips]

Nah but apparently depending on exactly what type of plastic when they burn out they can give various smells off 😉

[andypaint]

I had this once, turned out to be a Bleach bottle under the sink that had a pinhole in it and was slowly leaking and affecting other house hold cleaning products. Nearly drove me mad finding the smell.

 

Might be worth emptying some cupboards

[figgy]

What's changed two or even three weeks ago? You done anything different,floor cleaning solutions mixing detergents is dangerous could it be that.

 

When you say irritant what getting iritated any signs like a rash ?

[andypaint]

I had this once, turned out to be a Bleach bottle under the sink that had a pinhole in it and was slowly leaking and affecting other house hold cleaning products. Nearly drove me mad finding the smell.

 

Might be worth emptying some cupboards

[Mice!]

Pull the fridge out and check the drain, you might find its full of nasty gunk that has started to smell ours did this a while ago

[fern01]

This is a long shot but is anyone nearby using a log burner?

 

I sometimes think a guy near me is burning insulation off cable in his.

 

Also the rape is all in full flower in our area and the smell at certain times and wind direction is terrible.

[lord_seagrave]

Reading this thread with interest - hope you get it sorted.

 

I do recall an incident in a school once that turned out to be a crate of onions on the turn!

 

LS

[Mice!]

Can't imagine someone burning cable inside, imagine if people were that stupid!!! it makes enough of a stink when someone does it in the woods.

[lord_seagrave]

Also the rape is all in full flower in our area and the smell at certain times and wind direction is terrible.

Oddly, I rather like the smell of OSR. That heady, savoury smell is quite like hawthorn blossom after rain (which is, in any case, one of my favourite smells).

 

LA

[kingo15]

Look under the kitchen sink if your sink has a overflow pipe. Make sure that the pipe doesn't have a dip in it. so that no waste water or cleaning products can get caught in there.

[TR1]

Thanks to all .

Going to try a white vinager / baking soda deodoriser spray today and see if that neutralises the problem.

Will be talking to Environmental Health as well for any suggestions.

[bruno22rf]

Any new furniture bought lately including cushions etc? There was a similar case on 3 counties radio, some modern fabrics are covered with a treatment that can have a similar effect, the woman on the radio had to move out of her house till the sofa was removed!!

[Mice!]

Thinking last night under floor heating?

 

Is it radon gas you sometimes get under houses seem to remember my in laws having a meter set up to measure something?

[Sha Bu Le]

Some very useful suggestions to this topic, I do favour the leaking cleaner bottle theory. Once used Cilit Bang to clean some fungus from the shower cubicle. What a terrible smell, pungent / acrid really awful, if your beloved has recently bought some check it out, isolate the stuff (outside). In fact put everything from your cleaning material cupboard outside, open the windows for a couple of hours and see if there is an improvement.

 

I should have read the instructions but they are printed so small I would have to use a magnifying glass, how old people or folk with vision problems manage to see them I really don't know.

 

Hope you find the cause and soon.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well I hope you find the culprit soon and let us know.

 

Good luck with the hunt.

[TR1]

Quick update.

Washed down with deodoriser mix today , seems a little less irritating . Waiting for the smell of vinegar to disperse.

Local council Environmental Health coming on Thursday morning so will see what pearls of wisdom he brings.

[Mice!]

What's the bet he is about 12 years old 😅

Good luck

[rovercoupe]

Thinking last night under floor heating?

Is it radon gas you sometimes get under houses seem to remember my in laws having a meter set up to measure something?

Radon is radioactive and does not smell, you can get arsenic leaking out of granite but never got close enough to sniff it!

 

 

And chimneys near by? I have had a funny smell over winter and put it down to the pointing on the stack going and leaking water down the internal chimney.

[loriusgarrulus]

Have you bought anything recently with a non stick coating. They can give off toxic fumes when overheated.

[Twistedsanity]

Modern washing machines have composite drums which allow the breeding of bacteria unlike the old stainless steel ones and can give off a nasty pong

[Squinting shot]

I get cigarette smells in my house from my neighbours not nice at all

[TR1]

Update , Environmental Health guy (not teenager) came and gave a good impression of an expert , no bloody idea what the problem is.

However he did say that gases could be ruled out as symptoms not conducive with CO or gas.

Advised that any suggestion of measuring the air quality was a waste of time as equipment needed far too complex.

Since his visit we have noticed an improvement in the nasal irritation since the vinegar smell from the wash down has now gone,

The eye irritation has also reduced since closing the window vents.

So we are living with the issue for now to see if things improve further as the pollen season passes.

Fingers crossed and thanks for all the suggestions.

[Walker570]

Check your light fittings.

I had a similar issue in a bedroom a few years ago.

The smell was acrid, it transpired to be the lamp holder over heating and basically cooking.

 

webber

My thought was a smell of burning or overheating plastic fitment. The fumes , even slight will have that effect. I was sat a mile downwind of some idiot burning plastic two nights ago and had to move from my high seat. Same effect on my eyes.

[Mice!]

Have you checked your fuse box? We had a party years ago oven going all the lights other stuff on it caused an overload pretty much melted a cable instead of just tripping out.

 

Other thought have you got a tumble dryer? Been a lot of issues with those in the news lately causing fires.

 

Might seem a fuss but take your oven out and check the terminals POWER off are they tight?

 

Can you get under the cupboards remove the ?? Can't think of the name, but check you haven't got a dead mouse or something?

 

Hope you get to the bottom of this soon