Smell Fish in Your House? You Could be in Danger of Losing Everything

There may be a lot more to your house smelling like fish than the scent of last night's dinner scraps wafting from the garbage can.

Why A Fishy Smelling House Is Concerning

Even if you did heat up some smoked salmon in the microwave for lunch, you probably don't want to spend the rest of the day surrounded by fish stink.

Experts say you should be concerned if the smell lingers, especially if you didn't even recently have fish in your home. Southern Living says the smell could be a sign of a number of issues that could all cause immediate danger to your family.

"The smell may be emanating from frayed wires, overloaded circuits, faulty outlets or any number of other issues that need to be addressed quickly and correctly or it could result in a fire," Southern Living reports.

Recognizing the smell and what it could potentially mean should call for immediate action since electrical issues start within fixtures and walls where they often cannot be seen.

What To Do If You Smell Fish In Your Home

So, you've checked your garbage can and your garbage disposal and determined the smell is not something you threw in the trash. Now what?

BobVilla.com suggests trying to determine where the smell is the strongest in the home to help narrow it down to a specific light fixture or outlet.

"If the smell comes and goes, it's a good indication that the culprit is an electrical item that doesn't run all day long," the website states.

You may need to call for professional help since the issue may not be as easy as replacing an outlet or fixture. That smell could be coming from a circuit breaker or the wiring within your walls.

"If the insulation is damaged or the wiring is experiencing electrical surges from a faulty breaker, the heat generated by the electricity can begin to melt the plastic, which is often identified as a fishy odor," BobVilla.com reports.