A home can hold onto an array of odors, some more pleasant than others. The crisp smell of sheets dried in the sun. Pleasant. The smell of Scout getting sprayed by a skunk (again!), definitely not! Fresh baked apple cinnamon muffins out of the oven? Fabulous – provided you like the odor of apples and cinnamon.
Then there’s the other side of the odor coin – gross, and usually indicating some sort of problem that needs attention.
Rotten Eggs
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about half of U.S. homes have natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, and clothes drying. Because gas is colorless and odorless, gas companies add an odorant to their supply to produce a rotten egg scent so gas leaks don’t go unnoticed. If you smell rotten eggs, do not turn on lights or appliances, vacate your home immediately, and call the gas company from a safe location.
Something Smells Fishy
If you notice a fishy odor, and last night’s dinner isn’t to blame, it could mean an electrical component is overheating or burning. The odor can be caused by loose or damaged cords and wires, faulty outlets, overloaded circuits, overheated insulation, and more. If not tended to swiftly by a licensed electrician, what’s behind that odor could cause a fire.
Sewage
An unexplained sewage odor emanating from your bathroom might signify a vent pipe is clogged or that a sewer pipe is broken. Contact a licensed plumber to diagnose and repair the problem. If, however, the odor intensifies but only when you run the hot water, it could be due to a damaged or corroded anode rod located in your water heater.
Cat Urine
The smell of cat urine is never pleasant and especially perplexing if you don’t have a cat. Other than the real thing, cat urine odors could be an indication of mold, especially the toxic black kind.
Wet Dog Smell
A wet dog carries a distinct smell, the kind shared by raccoons, squirrels, and rats. So, if you don’t have a pooch but keep getting whiffs of wet dog odor, you could have a rodent problem on your hands. That’s the time to contact a pest control service.
Decomposition
Have you ever detected a rotten smell but can’t find the source? The next time, check for any food that might have fallen behind a cabinet or been hidden by a curious toddler or four-legged companion. Still coming up short? You might have a mouse, rat, or other rodent that spent its last moments inside your walls, attic, crawl space, or chimney.
Locker Room
No matter how great you might feel after a strenuous workout, the scent of sweaty clothes and sneakers – plus the gym bag that contains them – is going to follow you at least until you get home, get stuff in the washing machine, and maybe spray your sneakers down with a deodorizer. Well, that same odor can be caused by a build-up of bacteria on your heating systems coils. Condensation that forms on the coils is the ideal breeding ground for bacterial growth. The best remedy is to have evaporator coils and air ducts cleaned by a qualified HVAC technician.
Foul odors or not, you’ll enjoy greater comfort and convenience when you have Messmer Mechanical perform annual maintenance on your heating and cooling systems once a year. The overall purpose is to help keep your systems in top working order, reduce your energy costs, and keep your system operating repair free. Contact us today for service and give yourself a lot less to worry about.