Strange Electrical Smell

[OlafLovesAnna]

I have a weird electrical smell in my house but I can't work out where it's coming from.

Is there any device or method I can use to work out if it's gas or something even more sinister? Or is it a call an electrician job do you think?

Are you using any equipment that draws a lot of electric - such as a tumble dryer? Check the socket for scorching and check the plug is all the way in.

Are you using any extension leads or those blocks that turn a plug socket into more plugs. The blocks are known for being prone to overheating.

You shouldn't use high electric using appliances such as a tumble dryer with an extension lead - again check for scorching of the plug in the wall.

When we accidentally plugged our tumble dryer into an extension lead it made the fishy smell of the hot plastic socket and the socket became scorched.

If you can't find the problem then yes I would get an electrician to take a look.

If you think you can smell gas you need to call the emergency number.

Can other people smell it too?

Thank you all. No we’re not running a tumble dryer and the smell is in the kitchen where nothing new is plugged in.

Husband thinks he smells gas but the rest of us think it’s electrical. I don’t think it’s gas but our boiler is very old and although it’s working fine it could be the culprit.

You need to turn off the boiler (not ideal in this weather I know) and ventilate the room to see if the smell dissipates. There are lots of reasons why boilers give off smells - gas leaks being the rarest but most serious - but it could also be burning metal or plastic if components are failing. Is the boiler due a service soon? It might be coming to the end of its useful life - worth getting someone in?

Just to rule out anything daft is the fridge stinky with leftovers?
Are the drains blocked or stinky?

I’ve called that gas line and someone is coming out to check it’s not a gas leak, I’ve turned the gas off just in case too.

Boiler is serviced yearly but I suspect it doesn’t have long to live! Thanks for all the tips of things to check.

How weird I had this yesterday minus the gas! One of my plug sockets had over heated and the melted. I was able to track the smell as my cupboard was sticking of burning, I felt the walls and plug socket and socket felt warm. Dh switched off the electric and removed it and it was melted inside. We had used the slow cooker the other day so wondering if this was the cause.

I’m wondering if there’s something melting inside the boiler as it’s the only think to be working hard this morning. The only other thing we’ve used is the kettle today

Given that the smell is in your kitchen I am wondering if its actually your drains?

Where is your electricity meter? Is that near the kitchen?

When we had a weird smell in our kitchen it was coming from the cupboard under the stairs which contained both the gas and electric meters. It wasn’t a gas smell. We cleared the cupboard out and opened the doors/windows but the smell didn’t go away. Only thing it could be was the electric meter itself.

We called 105 and they came out to take a look. There was a short circuit between the meter and the fuse box and everything was red hot. We’re lucky it didn’t all catch fire. if you think it’s anything to do with the meter/main supply to the house, call 105.

Electrical faults often smell of burning plastic or fish.

It took me ages to trace where mine was. It was the switch for the shower.

Electric showers and immersion heaters are often culprits due to the high load they draw.

Brilliant- thanks for the electric meter tip, that’s in the kitchen too.

I think I would want this checked by an electrician in case there is a further fire risk.

My old washing machine would smell like hot rubber when it ran for about a year or so before the drum totally gave up - I assume it was something to do with the belts.

Try turning on the things you use and hold your hand on the plug to feel if it's warm - they can overheat due to a shorting/arcing connection - and don't always scorch the socket as it's happening inside the plug.

Thanks so much for all the advice. The gas company came out and checked there was no leak but unfortunately because I’d switched the gas off when they tried to recheck it once we’d switched it back on we realised the boiler had given up the ghost.

They check the boiler still had power and guessed that the funny smell was something untoward inside the boiler. So boiler is off, we’re all wearing a lot of clothes and the boiler repair man is hopefully coming tomorrow.