Something stinks

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Pleeeaaaasseee help. I am at a total loss.

There has been a smell in my house for 2 or 3 weeks. It seemed to coincide with the building of our extension but having sealed the extension completely for a few days while we await the next phase, it seems to be in the open plan kitchen/dining room. The extension doesn't smell.

It's most like an ammonia type smell. We have a cat but she doesn't wee inside and I've tried a UV light to check. I can't find the source. It doesn't seem to be on or in anything. It's in the air almost.

I've deep cleaned everywhere at least 3 times using all sorts. I've tried zoflora, a thing from the pet shop which neutralises cat wee, plain old bleach solution.

It's getting worse and worse. I feel quite sick now. And ashamed. I can't let the DC have friends round. Can't have family round. I don't want to be in my house. It's like a wall of stench when I walk in.

Can you suggest anything at all? Something I might have missed?

I'm getting desperate.

I am going to go with dead rodent of some kind. Potentially in the old external wall but when the extension got built it got trapped and then died. Or cat bought one in and it died hiding under something.

Or fridge. It’s always the bloody fridge. Check drip tray, move it out and clean, under, inside and out, etc. Check it’s not leaking any coolant.

Or the drains. Again it’s always the bloody drains.

Or the bin. Clean out the bin properly.

I second something that’s died.
we had a terrible smell in our front room for a while which then disappeared. Pretty sure something must have got into the void under the floor.

But no one else could smell it or if they did it was faint. I was pregnant and had super smell power!

can other people smell what you can?

The bin is spotless. I clean it weekly.

Checked under everything.

We have had a stinky fridge before and it was the drip tray. But we now have an American fridge freezer and it's a sealed unit seemingly, with no drip tray. Unless I'm missing something. I can't pull it out to check but will try when DH gets home. It's bloody heavy. I've peered behind it with a torch and looked under it.

Smell isn't coming from the drains.

If it's a dead rodent trapped somewhere, it's emitting a fierce and overpowering smell.

Everybody can smell it. It's overpowering.

Older fridges have ammonia coolant. It’s only very recently they changed that.

I would check the brand on the fridge and try to determine the coolant. If it is ammonia then it could be that.

Dodgy electrics can apparently smell very bad. I believe a nasty fishy type smell.

Could it possibly be a plug socket in the kitchen?

If something has died and is decaying hopefully the smell will fade in time.

Maybe check for a leak in or around dishwasher and washing machine. Dishwasher and washing machine waste pipe may be loose or has leak? Waste water truly stinks and if damp can cause mould.

Good luck on your hunt.

Dead rodent, i should dissipate in a couple of weeks.

How can I find out if it has ammonia coolant? I'm not sure.

And if it were leaking, would I not see a pool of water or drips? Everything is dry.

Dishwasher was only installed a couple of months ago but will get DH to check when he gets home.

I've already pulled out the washing machine to check that. Apart from dust bunnies, completely clean and dry and connections are fine.

Fwiw:
drains - have they fractured and leaked due to building works?
filters - fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher. Dishwasher rotor spray arms also need checking. Any pipes not quite inserted/tightened.
dead rodent - could be anywhere.
something left in a tin/tub/oven and now rotting.
damp - check under rugs/mats/ near drainpipes/windows/ bay window roofs/floorboards.
cat pee - could be anywhere.
batteries - left anything on charge? Do you have a solar battery storage system?
wiring - any plugs etc warmer than normal? Including such as wired in ovens , fridges and hot water tanks/immersions. Check light fittings

is you heating on - is something smelly left near a warm window/radiator.

Did the smell arrive around the same time as the dishwasher ????

Either something has died or the builders cracked a sewer pipe when building the extension. As its a crack its a slow seepage. Get the builders back after you and dh have checked for dead things. Can you pinpoint a corner or wall?

Such a comprehensive reply, thank you:

drains - have they fractured and leaked due to building works? Smell isn't coming from the drains I'm sure.

filters - fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher. Dishwasher rotor spray arms also need checking. Any pipes not quite inserted/tightened. Washing machine checked. No idea re fridge/freezer. It's a sealed unit. Can't find anything to check. Dishwasher is 2 months old, seems fine and doesn't smell but will check.

dead rodent - could be anywhere.
something left in a tin/tub/oven and now rotting. Checked in and under everything.

damp - check under rugs/mats/ near drainpipes/windows/ bay window roofs/floorboards. Kitchen floor is concrete (awaiting new flooring), dining room is original quarry stone. No rugs or mats. Recently gutted and modernised. No damp.

cat pee - could be anywhere. Checked everywhere with UV light and found no source either visually or in terms of smell or puddles.

batteries - left anything on charge? Do you have a solar battery storage system? Nothing on charge. No solar power.

wiring - any plugs etc warmer than normal? Including such as wired in ovens , fridges and hot water tanks/immersions. Check light fittings. All fine.

is you heating on - is something smelly left near a warm window/radiator. Heating still off.

Nope

I can't find where it's coming from. It's in a room that's not near the sewer pipe. The rooms near the sewer pipe don't smell.

It is no stronger in any part of corner of the room. It's in the bloody air. Nobody can locate a source.

Meant to quote this. No. No coincidence.

I know it’s freezing but open as many windows and doors as you can. Ammonia dissipates quite quickly if it is the actual gas.

Then once the smell is slightly less. Go back to the fridge and open the door. Stick your head in. Is it stronger there?

If so I don’t know how much of a problem it is because well google can be quite dramatic. But I hope someone will be along to tell you whether it’s an evacuate the house type of urgent, or just the room. Or not at all.

And the reason I keep going back to the ammonia fridge situation is because of how bad you are saying the smell is. Dead rodent is a bad smell. It’s not nice. But it’s not an extreme all empowering smell. It’s just a nasty annoying smell and gets slowly worse before better, but not a million times worse really quickly.

Bar that are you sure you know the difference between gas and ammonia? It’s not a gas smell is it?

Bar the above it’s annoying but not harmful and you will find it eventually so try not to worry.

I've had the windows and doors open all weekend and then whenever I'm here. It only helps while there's a through breeze. Close the doors and windows and it's back.

It's not gas and I don't actually think it's ammonia but it's that sort of smell iyswim.

I've emptied the fridge and cleaned it. We've pulled it out now, removed the grill at the back to check everything.

It's not the fridge. Or anything under the fridge. It's spotless.

DH is going to unplumb the dishwasher next.

Have anything been painted recently as part of the work you've had done? Friend of mine had similar issue and it turned out to be the paint on the wall. Didn't smell when it went on but once dry is smelt terrible. Took ages and many, many coats of a different brand of paint to resolve it.

Paint? There was a valspa paint issue that was like this. Was the room repainted after the extension?

Check your potatoes, and anywhere a potato might have been or rolled. Or hidden.
Those things honk when off.