GSH smells like toast?

[neil_g]

odd title is odd..

basically the gas central heating kicks on at around 5am, by the time i get up and go downstairs around 6am the house smells of, well, toast. not burning toast but fresh cooked toast.

we've just had the annual boiler check done which passed so not (too) concerned that we're about to die from carbon monoxide etc.

the only things i can think of are:

1) the house is old (1930s?) and gets pretty damn cold overnight, the GSH goes mental in the morning to heat the place up and cooking the rads and/or the dust in them (the cats have pulled big balls of dust out the bottom of a few).

2) ours is a closed loop/presurised system and since we moved in this year (this is our first winter here) we've had to repressurise it a couple of times. if there is an increase of air in the system could it small like this?

3) im worrying over nothing.

any ideas/suggestions?

 

[neil_g]

First job hoover the crud from the radiators.

yup, will do this tonight.

What boiler, if it's room sealed model then you shouldn't smell anything.

im not sure to be honest, i'll grab the details tonight.

Has it only started since the boiler has been serviced, do you have carbon monoxide alarm fitted near the boiler.

no it happened before, should have mentioned it to the guy. and no monoxide alarm fitted, going to pick one up at lunch.

Could be something from another source & having the heating on, is causing it to smell.

that did cross my mind. the house sometimes smells a little musty (old house, air bricks etc).

Might have a ghost making their selves toast.

who do i call?

 

[neil_g]

yup going to grab one at lunch.

have got the boiler info from the GF - glow worm ultimate 5011

only in the morning. thinking about it the boiler is in the downstairs bathroom off the kitchen and the kitchen door is closed at night (cats on worktops etc) and i can always smell it coming down the stairs so im wondering if it is the hallway rad.

 

[neil_g]

Could anyone in your house be smoking pot?

I once knew a guy who hid it behind the radiator in his room, made the whole place stink of weed, which can be similar to burnt toast.

hahaha

no, both non-smokers. unless its the previous tennants stash down the back of a rad

 

[neil_g]

I bet you if you fit a carbon monoxide alarm, it will go off.

even if its just been safety checked in the last 2 weeks?

 

[neil_g]

I bet you the carbon monoxide alarm will go off, definitely a ventilation problem & co problem, all the doors shut, any other ventilation in the room.

In the boiler manual, it says not to block room ventilation in a cupboard, or compartment.

the boiler is in an airing cupboard within the bathroom which has an upper and lower vent into the bathroom. the bathroom door is open at night which leads to the back hallway, back door and kitchen (again open door). the kitchen door to the main hallway is shut at night where the stairs are which is where i notice the smell.

 

[neil_g]

Do your eyes sting, water a bit, when you going downstairs first thing in the morning?

nope.. surely if it was carbon monoxide we'd (and or the cats, theyre small and young) be in proper trouble by now?

plus we dont notice any smell in the evenings.

im confused as to why you say its not properly ventilated?

hopefully this will help:

so doors that are open at night:
bathroom
kitchen to back hall (no door)
lounge

shut doors:
kitchen to front hallway/stairs
dining room

 

[neil_g]

they get told off on the worktops, so theyre on the floor..

but yes im picking up an alarm at lunch and will see what happens.

 

[neil_g]

If you are having to re-pressurise the system I'll bet there's a leak somewhere. We have a 10 year old boiler in a 150 year old property and had to add a bit of pressure to the system every few months last year. We were told this was normal and just caused by air in the system.

Eventually I noticed that the spare room smelt... funny... not mouldy or damp or whatever, just a bit odd. Turned out there was a tiny trickle from the valve on the radiator when it was turned to above half way, this was small enough that the underlay was soaking up the moisture and it was evaporating before it had chance to do damage to the underlying wood, hence it had gone unnoticed for so long.

A few turns of a spanner to tighten up the brass fitting, no more leak and the system hasn't lost any pressure since, the spare room has less damp problems around the window and the smell has gone.

I'd go round and tightly wrap some dry tissue around each of the pipes on your radiators in the house and also the bleed points, then after the heating has been on for an hour or so go and see if there is any damp.

interesting, i have noticed the spare room smelling a bit funky sometimes..

Isnt it the smell of toast you get before you have a heart attack?

thats what the GF said. i think the smell of toast is spontaneous combustion

 

[neil_g]

the GF has just rather nicely informed me of the following:

"If you smell burnt toast when there is no bread burning in the toaster, this is called an olfactory hallucination. It is possible to experience olfactory hallucinations when you have a brain abnormality, such as a brain tumor, or if you are about to experience a seizure or a stroke. In order to rule out these issues, you can visit a doctor and get a brain MRI."

wonderful

 

[neil_g]

happy to report that i haven't died of CO poisoning..

installed the alarm last night (which has not gone off at all). also i hoovered the hallway rad, which was rank. filled our bagless hoover entirely with dust and dog hair (im assuming the previous tenant had a dog..). i also turned the rad down as it was set to 11 and was the temperature of the sun.

this morning, no noticeable smell. huzzah!

 

[neil_g]

Because it's one hotter than ten.

this man gets it