Hey everyone, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and recently noticed a funky, fishy smell in a bridge area on the second floor that connects my master bedroom to some other rooms. It's been around for a couple of days now, and it smells like dried fish or maybe smoked salmon. I've looked into some common causes and found that a lot of people say it could be due to electrical issues, such as circuits overheating or melting. There's just one light switch and two ceiling lights in that area, but I can't quite pinpoint the smell to those spots. Also, I had a battle with roof rats in the attic about a month ago, so I'm worried it might be a dead rat somewhere. I climbed into the attic above the smelly area, but didn't catch the same scent. I'm curious if it's possible that the fishy smell from an aged circuit might not be detectable right at the source and can only be sensed after spreading through the room? Any thoughts or tips on how to track down this mysterious smell?
4 Answers
Sounds like a typical electrical issue. Check all your outlets carefully, or you might want to call an electrician to take a look. I've had a similar experience where I smelled something off, and it turned out to be a faulty circuit. Don't ignore it!
Make sure to inspect all outlets in your home. Smells can travel through walls, so what you notice in one area might be coming from another room or even another floor. And be cautious of any DIY electrical work from previous owners—it might not be up to code!
Don't overlook rotting potatoes, either! It's surprising what can give off that kind of smell. It took me way too long to figure out that's what it was in my case. Check around your house for any forgotten food!
I can relate! My dryer outlet did that too. We were convinced it was a dead animal and spent weeks searching. The smell only showed up when the dryer was running. So, definitely check that outlet!
Totally agree! A couple of months ago, I had electricians install a circuit for an EV charger, and a few months later, I noticed a weird smell above the breaker. It was melting through some framing! Always a good idea to check your breakers and outlets.