Strong smell of ammonia in my bedroom!

[drako]

There is a very strong smell of ammonia in one of our bedrooms. There is no upstairs toilet in the house. It has been suggested that there might be a rat decomposing either in the chimney (not being used) or under the floor boards. My husband is going to check this out over the weekend, if there is no signs does any one have any other ideas of what i could be.
We have been in the house for just over 8yrs and i've only really smelt this over the last week, the house is made of local stone and the inside wall still has the original black plaster in places.

I really hope someone can help as i am at a loss for ideas

 

[marsaday]

we had similar this weekend, but it was outside the house. i think it may have been in the atmosphere. smelt like urine. i checked the drains straight away, but they were clear.

the smell went that day i think.

 

[drako]

Thanks for your reply. Its definately not outside and only in the one room and at the bottom of one wall. Very strange and must say i can't wait for hubby to be home this wkend and to check for unwanted furies.
The only way i can really describe this smell is if you have ever kept rabbits, you'll know exactly what i'm talking about.

 

[marsaday]

Well i think my neighbours drain is to blame !! looked down their chamber and lots of paper down there. i will give it a clean out. looks like it is occasionally not flushing away properly.

you may have a similar problem. where the smell is coming from do you have a toilet outlet pipe nearby ?

 

[JohnD]

do you have pets or a small boy?

it can be mice

 

[garyo]

We had this recently. I turned the place upside down trying to find the source, and ended up suspecting the closed up chimney/airbrick. In the end it turned out to be a brand new pair of rubberised ballet shoes. We locked the shoes in the downstairs cupboard, and it was humming within hours!

God knows what the chinese are making/dying shoes with. But it smells of ammonia!

Gary

 

[Beckmeister General]

This may be a little left field but check your bedroom's ceiling light rose. Happened in my last house and I followed the smell back to the light rose which I changed and the smell went.

 

[noseall]

Anyone who has ever worked on a well used chimney, i.e. a chimney that has had coal fires etc, will know exactly what i mean when they have mixed soot with cement.

Wow! The ammonia given off can stave off a good hangover in seconds. Wet cement mixed with the soot from a chimney makes excellent smelling salts.

I would not eliminate the dead animal in the chimney from your inquiries just yet...