Weird smell coming from chimney in DS's bedroom

[HavelockVetinari]

DH has been complaining about a funny smell in DS's room for a while, I've never been able to smell it till tonight (DH says it's much stronger). It's a weird kind of chemically smell, DH says it smells a bit like an electric fire. It's hard to describe. I think it's coming from the chimney but might be wrong.

Any ideas, O wise MNers?

Could be a dead bird/rodent or a bees' nest?

Can you get someone to put a camera up the chimney?

I've had an old chimney leak in very wet weather, which streaked sticky soot down the back (bit like treacle). It was not dramatic (i.e. going all over the floor) but did need attention. It did it because a hopper was blocked on the outside of the house that I did not know had any influence on the chimney. That had a smell like damp plus an old electric fire.

Death smells almost sweet, cloying

If it smells like the dust burning off on an electric fire it’s probably soot

Have you checked all your sockets incase a plug is burnt out? That can be a weird chemically smell

@mayblossominapril

Death smells almost sweet, cloying

If it smells like the dust burning off on an electric fire it’s probably soot

It doesn't smell like soot or anything burnt, just a weird chemical smell. DH thinks it's a bit like electric fires smelt during communism (he grew up in Eastern Europe) but I think more like a musty smell mixed with sudocrem and something else.

We're obviously moving DS out into a spare room whilst we're solving the issue

@Ormally

I've had an old chimney leak in very wet weather, which streaked sticky soot down the back (bit like treacle). It was not dramatic (i.e. going all over the floor) but did need attention. It did it because a hopper was blocked on the outside of the house that I did not know had any influence on the chimney. That had a smell like damp plus an old electric fire.

This seems likely - I've just WhatsApped our chimney sweep, fingers crossed that's all it is.

DH thinks it's a bit like electric fires smelt during communism (he grew up in Eastern Europe) but I think more like a musty smell mixed with sudocrem and something else could be describing a fine wine

I always recall the smell of coal dust(?) they used as some kind of insulator on the underground tracks in East Berlin. Even though it was a time well after 89, that was what I imagined would be a very eastern smell, like new tyres and chimneys!

Sorry if I've missed it but has he got a vent from the chimney in his room?

No, he's got an actual fireplace in his room (which obviously we don't light - he's 3!).