Smell of gas

[Johanna]

For several weeks now there has been an intermittent weak smell of gas on the top floor of our three level Victorian house. However over the weekend this got so strong that we had to call the National Grid emergency number and they sent an engineer over. Whilst he also agreed there was a strong smell of gas, when he actually did all his diagnostics, no leak from the pipes nor any detectable gas in the air were found. He was puzzled and could not really give us further advice, and we are now wondering what to do: what could be causing the smell of gas and how to get rid of it?

In addition to two bedrooms, the top floor also has a kitchenette and a bathroom, however no gas appliances.

 

[JohnD]

it is often stale food or cooking smells around the cooker (sorry) or some small animal, possibly dead, under the floor or behind a cabinet.

Or the drip tray behind the fridge where the defrost water goes, often contaminated.

Start with a thorough clean under and behind everything. Sniff as you go.

No offence intended.



p.s. A Victorian house will originally have had gas lighting, so there will be old iron gas pipes in the walls, ceiling and floors. Hopefully these will all have been disconnected and plugged. But who knows if your neighbours old pipes are also gas-free? I expect the NG engineer will have done a pressure-test at your gas meter which will have detected if there is any loss of pressure due to a leak. If your house was ever subdivided into flats or bedsits there may have been supplies to other meters which have now gone. When you look under the floors you should be able to find and trace the old pipes.

 

[Johanna]

it is often stale food or cooking smells around the cooker (sorry) or some small animal, possibly dead, under the floor or behind a cabinet.

Or the drip tray behind the fridge where the defrost water goes, often contaminated.

Start with a thorough clean under and behind everything. Sniff as you go.

No offence intended.

Thanks, John. The kitchenette is not actually being used at all. We painted and decorated it a couple of months ago and cleaned all the appliances. However, we do all our cooking in the main kitchen downstairs. So it can't be caused by the kitchenette/appliances being dirty. We've also been thinking about it possibly being a dead animal somewhere under the floorboards. However, the smell is quite clearly gas-like. Is this the kind of smell a dead animal gives off?

 

[JohnD]

pull up a bit of the floor and have a sniff.

if the kitchenette was previously used, there could be e.g. spilled milk run under the flooring, sausage fat splashes, leaking sink waste, mouse nests etc