Help me locate this smell

[Grunt1ed]

In my sons bedroom it smells like a decaying fish (gone off prawns type of smell) it’s got worse over the last day or so. I’ve pulled everything out and can’t find the source. It smells like it could be coming from the walls. What could it be and how can I get rid of it?

I think electrical problems can smell like fish... I think I read it on MN.

I read somewhere that a fish smell can be a sign of the electrics gone wrong

Potential danger. If you really can’t find a source, then an electrician might be needed

Ha cross post Soup

I had that smell in one room. It was a burnt out socket.

Check the plug sockets. I had this and it was the plug socket that a storage heater had been improperly wired in to. It was melting inside and was potential fire issue.

Usually an electrics issue, as people have said. You need to check it as soon as possible.

Yep,electrical issues. light fittings, sockets, plugs need checking.

I’ve checked all the plug sockets they seem to be ok, no obvious damage

If I was to turn off the electric to the upstairs would the smell go?

I'd sat it could be electrics too. Check all the sockets by taking off the front panel with a screwdriver as it may be fried inside and this will be obvious. I work in facilities management and when there's a hard to find fishy smell in our building it's usually a fried socket.

I’d just have to tear the place apart. Trainers can stink like a decaying corpse. Check there’s no shoes or socks in there.

I had this problem years ago, it was from the ceiling light. The part where you put the bulb in had cracked and caused the smell

I’ve unplugged all the electrics in his bedroom, turned all the switches off would that make a difference?
Would a dead bird or something make that kind of smell?

Dead mouse somewhere?

@HazelBite

Dead mouse somewhere?

This is what I’m thinking, but would something that small make that much of a smell?

@Grunt1ed

I’ve unplugged all the electrics in his bedroom, turned all the switches off would that make a difference? Would a dead bird or something make that kind of smell?

No, turning switches off won't make a difference. The fault is potentially in the wiring behind the parts you can see - before the electric gets to the switch, iyswim.

Imagine it's like water and there's a leak in the pipe coming into your house. You turning the switches off is like you've turned off the kitchen tap. It will do nothing.

I don't think just turning off switches will solve it if it is electrics, you probably need an electrician.

Is the smell more like fish or more like rotting?

Dead mice allegedly smell like gas at first. But can't think it would be a 'hit you in the face' stench of gas. Unless a colony of mice had died.

Have you checked the light fittings - from a lamp or the ceiling light? That's the most likely place. It's the part where the bulb screws into that may be damaged and causing the smell.

@CaptainBarbossa

Is the smell more like fish or more like rotting?

More like rotting, like prawns that have been left out for a few days.

@Notaroadrunner

Have you checked the light fittings - from a lamp or the ceiling light? That's the most likely place. It's the part where the bulb screws into that may be damaged and causing the smell.

The light has only been up about 4 months and it’s one of those enclosed lights so no exposed wires.

Has he had a new plastic toy recently? Our child had a new ball that we finally realised was the cause of the disgusting smell like wee in his room.

Dead mice smell more like you've left the gas on...I had Transco out once because I thought we had a gas leak, the bloke walked in, sniffed a couple of times and told me it was a dead mouse. We both looked, he did some gas tests just in case, nothing. A few weeks later I opened up the sofa bed because we were having guests and a dehydrated flat mouse fell out of the mechanism 😭

No new toys, his room is relatively empty, he just has a bed, a wardrobe and a bookcase, I’ve pulled everything out and can’t see anything obvious, it’s been recently decorated (and not quite finished) I’ve turned the lights off at the mains to see if that could be it.