Odd 'solvent' smell coming from kitchen??

[Sue]

peterstorm1985 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Can anyone actually describe the chemical smell?

> Does it smell like cleaning fluid that you'd use

> on the floor, or in the loo. Or is it like a burnt

> electrical flex? Slightly fishy, or slightly

> sweet? Nail varnish remover or craft resin smell?

> The reason I ask is that you do sometimes get a

> whiff off water (and I might guess that it could

> with gas) when new pipes are installed or repair

> work done somewhere in the line. I presume it's

> the flushing liquid used to test for leaks and/or

> sterilise prior to use.

xxxxxxx

Can't easily describe it (only smelled it once in my neighbour's kitchen) but can say what it isn't.

Not that fishy plastic/electrical overheating smell.

Not acetone/nail varnish remover smell.

Not burning smell of any kind.

Not a sweet smell.

Nearest I could say is that it was like some kind of DIY stuff eg paint thinner but as my memory is crap don't hold me to this.

Question for those who have the smell - is it in just one room (and if so which one) or all over the house?

I think the suggestion above to contact Environmental Health is a good one - I'd do it myself if I was affected, but I don't know if I am as my whole house presently smells of paint so I can't be sure there's any other smell as well.

[MrsMc]

The smell was similar to white spirit or strong glue, I'd say. It seemed to be coming either from our kitchen or the cellar, which is on the same level as our kitchen but I couldn't pinpoint the source. Luckily for us, the smell has gone now but next call is definitely to Environmental Health if it returns.

[Tarot]

Last year I had a faint gas type smell in my kitchen,and turning everything upside down and checking gas rings etc.I turned the wall plugs of in case, and I heard a low hissing noise just about audible.

It was coming from the freezer and closer inspection found, the smell was coming from there I called an electrician friend and he told me the freezer had been punctured and it was gas leaking from it .

I in my impatience couldnt wait for it to defrost and thought I would do a bit of scraping with the wrong tool.a screwdriver.

I had to buy a new freezer.

[Sue]

Tarot, bad luck re the freezer, but I don't think your gas type smell has anything to do with this thread :)

Unless everybody reporting a strange chemical-type smell here has a punctured freezer (I suspect not) :)

[hat282]

We had this very thing when we lived on Underhill Road. It turned out to be that a neighbours drain had been relined and the smell was the lining compound (which is like a flexible compound puumped along the drain line between a liner to form a new seal) which made it's way along the sewer connections between the adjoining properties and could be smelt for days afterwards until the compound fully dried. It smelt like very strong glue with a strong acetone smell.

[Sue]

Hat, the smell I smelt definitely did not smell of acetone.

Acetone is a very distinctive smell which is unmistakeable.

[DulwichDeviant]

DELETED

[The Minkey]

A home-based amphetamine factory: Waste chemicals going down the drain?

[ironjawcannon]

A few weeks ago I had a strange "cleaner" type smell which was there every day and felt and I could not get rid of it or find where it was from. I had used an aerosol spray of the neutradol type and thought it was that. I do not usually use these and I was surprised that the smell seemed to remnain for so long. It seemed to get worse when the heating was on. I only occasionally get a faint smell now but it lasted for a couple of weeks and was quite distressing. I live in Ivanhoe Rd by the way.

Could it have been the spray?

[The Minkey]

Unlikely to have been the neutradol - I used some of that once but it was a bit intense/chokey so I didn't use it again - it doesn't linger for that long. You hadn't had the radiators repainted since you last had the heating on, had you, or recently purchased one of those oil filled electric rads? I had a duff one which stunk initially every time it was turned on.

[BB100]

This is just a thought but have you considered the smell to be from someone paint spraying? Maybe spraying cars.

[Sue]

BB100 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> This is just a thought but have you considered the

> smell to be from someone paint spraying? Maybe

> spraying cars.

xxxxxx

I think the thing is, several people in different parts of ED have had the same issue over the same period of time.

I would say it would be a highly unlikely coincidence that paint spraying was taking place in different areas at the same time, especially at this time of year?

Just out of interest, is anybody still smelling the smell? Has anybody actually contacted the Environmental Health people? If not, we'll probably never find out what it is/was!

ETA: Ironjawcannon, I always thought Neutrodol was supposed to neutralise smells, not cause them!

[ibilly99]

Dennis Nielsen has just passed away so we can rule him out ....

[Sue]

Just wondered if anybody was still smelling this strange smell - my neighbour says hers has gone now.

[BB100]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> BB100 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > This is just a thought but have you considered

> the

> > smell to be from someone paint spraying? Maybe

> > spraying cars.

>

> xxxxxx

>

> I think the thing is, several people in different

> parts of ED have had the same issue over the same

> period of time.

>

> I would say it would be a highly unlikely

> coincidence that paint spraying was taking place

> in different areas at the same time, especially at

> this time of year?

I only suggest it because half a mile down the road to me is a car paint sprayer and it's a strange thing but we get the smell at certain times of the year and you can smell it in some places and not others - and yes it does smell like it is coming from inside the house. It took me years to work out what it was until one day I walked past their yard and realised where it was coming from. At the time I couldn't believe I could smell it from so far away but I suppose it's how the wind blows. Hope you work it out.

[catma]

peterstorm1985 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Can anyone actually describe the chemical smell?

> Does it smell like cleaning fluid that you'd use

> on the floor, or in the loo. Or is it like a burnt

> electrical flex? Slightly fishy, or slightly

> sweet? Nail varnish remover or craft resin smell?

> The reason I ask is that you do sometimes get a

> whiff off water (and I might guess that it could

> with gas) when new pipes are installed or repair

> work done somewhere in the line. I presume it's

> the flushing liquid used to test for leaks and/or

> sterilise prior to use.

When I came home yesterday after a few days away I could also smell a chemical, solvent type smell - reminded me of airfix glue.We have just had our gas piping done down the street which finished before christmas. It's gone now, but was quite noticeable and I remembered reading this thread. this is Choumert Rd.

[henryb]

I've was smelling strange solvent smell outside on Shelbury Rd last week. It was quite faint. Next time I notice I'll take a note of the wind direction. We might be able to triangulate it.

[Borderlands]

A few days a go a man from Thames Water came to the house and asked us whether there was a chemical smell in our kitchen and I said there wasn't.

He told me that there had been a complaint about this (but obviosuly not from me) but because I had not seen this thread on the forum I knew nothing.

He explained that there had been work undertaken on water pipes and I think he said the wrong sealant had been used and the chemical was getting into the water.

He also said if this smell occurred that those affected would need to contact Thames Water and report it.

[Sue]

Borderlands Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> He also said if this smell occurred that those

> affected would need to contact Thames Water and

> report it.

xxxxxx

MrsMc (previous page) said that she'd contacted Thames Water and they knew nothing about it !!!

:-S

[MrsMc]

Borderlands - just seen your post (had a baby in the interim(!)). Odd that Thames Water told me a different story, but

maybe they were unaware of the issue at the time?? Makes sense to me

that the smell came from the water supply, but it hasn't returned since the day of

my original post so pointless reporting now?

[The Minkey]

"He explained that there had been work undertaken on water pipes and I think he said the wrong sealant had been used and the chemical was getting into the water."

I'd be pressing for answers if this was the case. I'd want to know what the chemical was and whether it could be harmful if ingested. If it's true, then you'd think a fair amount was being released into the water if you were all able to smell it in your houses. Not good.

[Sue]

Minkey, I agree, I think this is really worrying, assuming it's true.

If any chemical is "getting into the water", let alone enough of it to cause this kind of smell in people's houses, I'd be wanting to know what the chemical was, what its potential effects on health were, and why the water company had not let people know about it.

As I (apparently) wasn't affected, it's not something I would want to take up, but maybe somebody else would?

I disagree that it's too late to report it (or to ask those questions) for those people who were affected.

[peterstorm1985]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> If any chemical is "getting into the water", let

> alone enough of it to cause this kind of smell in

> people's houses, I'd be wanting to know what the

> chemical was, what its potential effects on health

> were, and why the water company had not let people

> know about it.

It's reasonable to be concerned about a smell but it's unlikely to be anything nasty if it is simply a pipe sealant as suggested. As an aside, don't forget that a vast number of chemicals are used in the potable water supply, many of them have the sole purpose of masking the smells (and taste) of other chemicals due to the fact that domestic consumers equate a smell with something bad even though it's often the odourless chemicals that are the most unpleasant.

The water company won't inform customers as a general rule if something inert has been used accidentally simply because the cost of informing everyone is so large and there are many people who see the word 'chemical' and panic unnecessarily.

If anyone was affected and is worried then they should still contact Thames Water. If it has been determined that a 'wrong sealant' was used then details of the chemical will be available.

[youandiaredominoes]

Had the same problem. I live on champion grove nearer to denmark hill station.

Returned from work yesterday to smell this solvent/varnish type smell as soon as I walked in the door and also in the bathroom.

Was worried it was gas but got the gas people out and they checked for a leak using a detector but couldn't find one. Might phone environmental health or an electrician next. Neighbours haven't poured any chemicals away but pipes might be interconnected along the street?

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I have noticed a bleach solvent type of smell in my bath water :/