VERY strange smell in downstairs loo.......

[Silvercoconut]

Apologies for the long and detailed post hahaha
My downstairs toilet is small, no window, has an extractor fan which turns on with the light switch.
I keep the Henry hoover in there, a couple of shelves have surplus bottles of liquid washing detergent on them, a bottle of nail polish remover, bottle of perfume, can of hair mousse.

It's never used unless somebody comes to visit and needs to wee. Since last Sunday, there has been an extremely strong smell of smoke in there!
Not like a barbecue or a bonfire, not exactly like cigarettes but maybe slightly cigaretty. (We don't smoke)
A bit like the smell of paper after it's been burnt, with a slight undertone of TCP maybe? Or cigar smell?

Literally from one day to the next. Nobody has been in it. I have checked every single bottle shelf, behind the toilet, the extractor fan, the hoover, everything and cannot find the source of this odour, nothing has leaked.
Left the door open, sprayed freshener, febreze, lit a candle, NOTHING.
THE SMELL WILL NOT GO.

Any ideas what it could be?? I am totally totally stumped!!!!

Sounds like a slow burning electric fault - on light switch or plug socket maybe

Is it the hoover?

There's no plug socket.

An electrical issue with your extractor fan? Or a neighbour smoking outside and the fan pulling it in?

@TattyOldOwl Not the hoover.

Neighbour used a smoke bomb in their drains to check for cracks/uncapped branches, the smell is coming through your plughole?

Try changing Henry's bag, mine was smelling really weird a couple of weeks ago but smell went once i changed the bag, no iea what it was😷

I've smelt the fan, no odour coming from it. Cleaned it of all dust. No one smoking.

I did change the Hoover bag even though it wasn't full..
Practically shoved my head down the toilet to see if the smell was coming from the actual pan, nope.
Nothing from the plug hole of the hand basin either.

Can other people smell it? Or just you?

Peri symptom

Can you get one of those smoke bomb things you get for the car and stick it on there to see if that clears the smell?

Hahaha🤣🤣🤣
I'm 62, so past that, and yes everyone can smell it!
It really is the weirdest thing, I'm getting a slight whiff of TCP with cigar/burnt paper.
Honestly I have checked and double checked everything I possibly could and no closer to finding the source.

Oh well

That would drive me nuts. I can smell people when they are ill

ALSO....... The smell won't bloody go!
I've left the door open for three days, I've had the back door and my front door open so there's been a wonderful draft in my hallway, I've sprayed endless shit (not actual shit) in there and it still smells!

It could be a dry trap ? Try chucking 5 buckets of water down the toilet and running the sink taps for a while

Has something died under the floor?

I think wiring in the wall.

Omg no😭
I'm not turning the light on then. What do melted wires smell like?

Melted wires definitely smell like cigarette smoke/chemicals. I would be worried about the connection between your light switch and the extractor fan. Maybe best call an electrician to check.

A smell of TCP can indicate electrical fault. I had TCP smell for a week or so before the shower stopped working, the fault was traced to the pull cord which had burnt out inside! I would get electrics checked urgently.

I'd also consider consulting an electrician at this point if your absolutely certain you've eliminated all obvious causes.
Have you removed the hoover to another room for a couple days? Could be the electrical wiring on the hoover rather than in the room? I have a strange knack for blowing up Henry Hoovers and they do smell a bit weird when they're nearly dead but that usually when they are on.

Have you got any old cloths in there? The type you might use to clean? My mum was about to dig up the floor in her utility room and found it in the bucket was a cloth that smelt vile.

Sorry Op have been busy, but in short wires burning smells like a mix of chemical (I guess the plastic coating) and cigarette or wood smoke to me.

You can also get a TCP taste or smell from tap water that has come into contact with new rubber tap washers or washing machine/dishwasher hoses. The chlorine in the water reacts with the phenols in the rubber producing tri-chloro phenols (aka as TCP).