Strange smell in bathroom

[DuchessDandelion]

Can anyone help me identify its source?

To me, it smells like ammonia - not like pee from uncleaned bathrooms or a cat litter tray, but more like ammonia that you'd buy - it's quite sharp. And strong.

I live alone and the bathroom is clean.

Drains can get wiffy so I clean them regularly and this is a very different smell. Did them last week.

Checked cupboard - nothing spilled or leaking and no bottle smells like this.

Bin emptied & cleaned regularly- did it last night.

Smell not there an hour ago, now is.
It occurs periodically and I've never got to the bottom of it. Any ideas?

Could be coming from the neighbours. I know when my neighbours have been cleaning their paint brushes as the smell of turps comes up the sink in the downstairs loo.

I hadnt thought of that....Would I not also smell it in the ensuite then? It's next to the bathroom

(Am detached house as well)

Do you have an internal soil stack or a vent into your loft?

Nope

Mould growing behind the walls? That can smell like ammonia and can bloom in hot weather.

Sorry edited because I didn’t read properly at first but I still think it sounds like mould.

I would I say the smell is coming from sink, bath or shower traps

is the water draining slow at all?

I know this is strange question but is it a fishy smell? Strangely, we had this in our bathroom and eventually we had an electrical fault with the shower and it turns out that it’s really common to smell this well as its burning.

@KhakiAnt that's scary! Definitely not fishy.

I've actually sniffed each of the plug holes when it's happened before and it's definitely not coming from there. Drainage is fine as long as I keep on top of drain cleaning when I do.

@Arlanymor I wondered just today about mould. The extractor fan isn't great so I have the window open as much as possible - even in winter. Bathroom is fully tiled so I'm conscious of humidity in there...Have dark brown mould which I believe is mildew in some of the shower sealant, I've treated it several times so I think it's just stained now.

I hope its not secret mould !

I reckon it’s in the traps - if you undo them you will likely find some sludge which is the ammonia smell

Have you tested for covid. Sometimes my only symptom is some things smelling of ammonia!

OK- traps, I'll check.

I don't think its covid but I'll do a test

Make sure to have buckets to hand when you unscrew - I did mine earlier this year due to ammonia smell and full of hair and gunk 🤢

Following as we have strange smell in one bathroom of new house and cant think what it is... its also fully tiled so hoping it's not mould as the thought of ripping whole thing out is just 😩😩

Try filling the sinks and baths full, then the weight of water can flush / weaken any sludge. Then try soda crystals / hot water from kettle, to see if that clears it.

I hope it’s not too! But only way to find out is to get a specialist in. Good luck!

I was just going to say this, going to wrote this in caps as I don't want it to get missed.

PLEASE get an electrician. I had this and I had a fire.