Cooking Smells invading my living room from downstairs flat's cooker hood.

Discussion in 'Kitchen Fitters' Talk' started by Reign Matherson, Dec 4, 2020.

  1. Reign Matherson

    Reign Matherson New Member

    Can I also ask... what might be the health implications of allowing this unit to blow freely under my floor boards?

    Might there be capacity for mould to develop, carbon monoxide poisoning, breathing issues, fire hazards etc...

    Is there somewhere I can report these people and their dodgy installation?
     
  2. Sparkielev

    Sparkielev Screwfix Select

    Can you post pics of the ducting when you lift flooring, the way I see it no one has listened to you for 13yr so time to do it yourself and block the duct
     
  3. Reign Matherson

    Reign Matherson New Member

    Yes I’ll post pictures... it is always the way - taking matters into your own hands.

    I wish I had a contact details for the cowboy that did the installation.
     
  4. Red Star Boats

    Red Star Boats Active Member

    Unless I’m missing something others can see, if you take a line from the bottom of vent pipe it looks to be approx 4 inches above top of the window, that to me would indicate that is in fact below their ceiling, before you go pulling up floor boards I would suggest a visit to your neighbours to ascertain whether this is the case or not. If I’m wrong and as has been suggested the vent does run in the floor void at least you can get an idea of the extractors location and reduce the area to be lifted for investigation. Unless this flat underwent major refurbishment fitting into the ceiling void would have entailed much more work than surface mounting beneath the ceiling and boxing in. I’d do a bit more investigation before ripping up the floor.
    As for the issue with your internal wall, I’d be looking more at the down pipe and gutter, their is dark staining on the exterior wall behind the down pipe indicating possible penetrating damp.
     
  5. Reign Matherson

    Reign Matherson New Member


    It’s definitely in my floor. I’ve seen the downstairs flat and was confused, as I was expecting to see a boxed in situation but there was nothing. I then thought it might be in the pipe chute wall cavity but everything I believe is pointing to it being in my floor. Especially the exit location of the flue and the cold breeze that I’ve been blighted with for years from that particular part of the wall.

    Yes the flat under went major refurbishment as they moved the kitchen from the back of the flat to the front, under my living room.

    Thanks for alerting me to the penetrating damp, my landlord is also burying their head in the sand with that one.

    An independent ombudsman I complained to upheld my complaint.
     
  6. koolpc

    koolpc Super Member

    Why dont you move? You rent the flat?
     
  7. Reign Matherson

    Reign Matherson New Member

    I love my wee flat. Why should I move? I’ve got a river view, my family is really near by.

    I just don’t want to smell curry and poop all day long and I know the solution is somewhat simple(ish).
     
  8. Red Star Boats

    Red Star Boats Active Member

    if you’ve got sewage odours that point to a completely different problem.
    Another observation, I worked in a block of flats recently where all the stairwells smelled of of the various meals that where being cooked inside the individual flats, occasionally I could smell things in the flat I was working in. Incidentally this was a purpose built block approximately 20 years old.

    Are you absolutely certain that the vent in the wall is an extractor, it just doesn’t look right to me, when I enlarge the picture it blurs somewhat but it looks double skinned to me, I you sure they don’t just have a recirculating extractor, would explain the lack of boxing in.

    I understand they had the kitchen moved, but that generally does not require removing ceilings, it just seems an extreme way of concealing the duct.
     
  9. Reign Matherson

    Reign Matherson New Member

    A recirculating ventilator doesn’t explain the smells I’m getting.

    Surely that would mean their smell situation would be completely self contained without needing an exterior outlet of sorts.

    I would smell nothing if the recirculating theory is correct, as there would be no breach in the wall for the smell to dissipate to. I wish they did have a recirculating vent.

    :)
    Also I think the sewage smell is basically congealed grease and odours compounded over the years, hence the foul putrid smell.
     
  10. koolpc

    koolpc Super Member

    U need to lift some flooring and take a good look and take some pics.
     
    Wayners likes this.
  11. Red Star Boats

    Red Star Boats Active Member

    It reads like you only have floor boards and plastered ceiling between you, if I cook curry at home I can smell it upstairs, what’s the difference. A recirculating extractor keeps everything inside, if it was vented outside surely the prevailing wind would disperse the smell.

    If you have a sewage smell I think you’re clutching at straws thinking it’s congealed grease.
     
  12. Tilt

    Tilt Screwfix Select

    I will agree with @Red Star Boats ...... the vent does not look high enough to be in their ceiling.
    I only took a quick look at the pics.
    However, it is very possible (I would say much more likely) that they cut a hole in their ceiling and pushed the chimney up into it a little, and that is why you are getting the smells.

    Maybe purchase some Charcoal filters for them and ask them to fit them to their extractor.
    Give as a Christmas present. (I am kidding as you would need to know the extractor make).
     
  13. kitfit1

    kitfit1 Screwfix Select

    You have to bear in mind @Tilt that the flat is in Glasgow. My guess is that the OP has the top floor flat of a 3 storey building. The ground and first floor will have normal height ceilings, the top floor will have very low windows along with a sloped ceiling to get the height for the flat.
    OP, you really do need to raise those floorboards and post up some pics asap.
     
  14. kitfit1

    kitfit1 Screwfix Select

    As you mentioned that they had some dodgey gas work done, it could be that they have a gas hob ? If they do have a gas hob, there certainly is a big risk of carbon monoxide build up in your flat. If you know for certain that they do have a gas hob, your first port of call should be a report to Gas Safe. A Gas Safe inspection would sort your entire problem in one go.
     
  15. Red Star Boats

    Red Star Boats Active Member

    Just a quick check before lifting floor, have you checked orientation of joists and that it is physically possible to put a 4 or 5 inch vent pipe in.
     
  16. kitfit1

    kitfit1 Screwfix Select

    It will be possible, the joists will be either 5 or 6 inch. What will be difficult for the OP is getting them all up. He/she has one of two choices, emptying their living room, carpet up and then all the floorboards. Or cutting all the floorboards in the middle of the first joist away from the wall. Both are big jobs whatever way you look at it.
     
  17. Red Star Boats

    Red Star Boats Active Member

    Yes, sorry I was referring to the orientation, has it been established that the joists run in the same direction as the pipe. As yo7 say major job, just trying to cover the bases before she starts.
     
  18. Reign Matherson

    Reign Matherson New Member

    Hello there,

    Excuse the absence but I was under some floor boards yesterday. I only managed to lift one floor board :-( it took me hours and hours the thing was welded on practically and it was only half of their cooking space... but I could see along three separate joist “lanes” I’ll be doing the other half today.

    As I was lifting them, the smell of smoke and the cooking was so much stronger it was a battle to keep going. I didn’t see anything. I didn’t realise I had put down three carpets and sealed the floorboards with roof tar (I’m so desperate to block out the smells) So it was a battle.

    The cavity below me is around 500mm (or more) deep.
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2020
  19. Reign Matherson

    Reign Matherson New Member

    I’m going to have to ask them just to make sure. Thanks for that tip regarding the gas, that’s one official body that won’t ignore my concerns.
     
  20. Reign Matherson

    Reign Matherson New Member

    All our windows are of equal height. My ceiling doesn’t appear to be slopped.

    Floorboard saga continues today :)
     

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