I suffered from this ailment as of recently and couldn't figure out the culprate it always appeared in different area's of the room and I couldn't figure out what was going on. I finally found the problem, we had a 100W bulb in a 60W socket, and it was burning/melting the base of the ikea lamp we have hanging in the room. When I got up close it smelled like burnt wires, but it defintly had the fishy smell tinge to it.

Check your LIGHTS, check them VERY VERY carefully!! It could be just this, I'm psyched I found the answer, just trying to help others..


The internet helped me!! Ha ha.

I suffered from this ailment as of recently and couldn't figure out the culprate it always appeared in different area's of the room and i couldn't figure out what was going on. I finally found the problem, we had a 100W bulb in a 60W socket, and it was burning/melting the base of the ikea lamp we have hanging in the room. when i got up close it smelled like burnt wires, but it defintly had the fishy smell tinge to it.

Check your LIGHTS, check them VERY VERY carefully!!! it could be just this, i'm psyched i found the answer, just trying to help others..


the internet helped me!!! ha ha.
We have just been dealing with the very same problem (fish smell) - we were in the process of gutting our guestroom so that the insurance company could come in, tear-up the carpet and check for mold, etc. when I found this website and read about the LIGHT issue --- surprise, surprise, we had 2, 100 watt bulbs in a light fixture designed for max. 40watt bulbs. We turned the light off in the room, removed the bulbs, and hallelujah, for the 1st time in over a month, our room has not smelt fishy. We are absolutely "over the moon" about it. What a big relief --- thanks to all of you for helping us figure this out !

The Brost Family

Sorry if this is already here - I thought the breakdown of the material , either phenol formaldehyde (bakelite) or urea formaldehyde (probably the urea - its in urine too) produces the ammonia derivative gas as a breakdown product hence fishy - urine like smell from breakdown of plastic/bakelite material on light fitting. Replace with normal bulb and replace light fitting and it goes away