👃 What’s That Smell?

elijahproctor5
Jun 19
2 min read

Common Odors in Your Home That Could Mean Big Trouble

Ahhh, home sweet home. Until… sniff sniff... what is that smell?

If your nose twitches every time you walk in the front door, don’t just light a candle and hope for the best. Some smells are more than just annoying, they’re warning signs that your house might be trying to tell you something important, and maybe expensive.

Here’s a nose-level guide to the most common suspicious smells, and what they could mean:

1. Rotten Eggs (A.K.A. Gas Leak Alert 🚨)

If you smell sulfur or rotten eggs, stop what you're doing and get out of the house. This is often a sign of a natural gas leak, which can be extremely dangerous. Call the gas company or fire department ASAP. This is not one to ignore or try to air out.

2. Musty Basement Funk (Hello, Mold 👋)

That damp, earthy, grandma’s basement smell? Mold or mildew might be setting up shop. It often hides behind walls, under floors, or in poorly ventilated spaces. Besides stinking, it can be a health hazard, especially for kids, pets, or anyone with allergies or asthma.

3. Sewage or Rotten Cabbage (Check Your Plumbing 🚽)

A foul smell coming from drains could be a dried-out trap, a broken vent pipe, or a more serious sewer line issue. Your home should not smell like a truck stop restroom. If it does, it’s time to call in a plumber or your friendly neighborhood home inspector.

4. Burning or Fishy Smell (Electrical Issues ⚡)

No one's cooking fish, but you’re smelling something off? That could be overheated electrical wires or a failing circuit. This is another serious one; it might not cause a fire today, but it could tomorrow. Get it checked quickly.

5. Wet Dog, but You Don’t Own a Dog (Check That HVAC 🐶)

A stale or wet dog-like smell could mean mold in your HVAC system or clogged filters. Your air system might be circulating more than just cool air, and nobody wants to breathe in that kind of funk.

6. Sweet or Fruity Smell (Refrigerant Leak 🧊)

If you get a strange sweet scent near your AC unit, it could be leaking refrigerant. Not only does that reduce your cooling power, but it can also be toxic. Have a pro take a look before it causes bigger problems.

7. Dead Animal Smell (You Know It When You Smell It 💀)

Unfortunately, sometimes a critter crawls in and doesn’t crawl out. If you smell death and it’s not your teenager’s laundry, you might have a deceased rodent in a wall, attic, or crawlspace.A pro can help locate and remove it, and seal up entry points so it doesn’t

happen again.

So… What’s That Smell Telling You?

Some odors are harmless. Some are red flags.A home inspection, or a follow-up specialty inspection, can help get to the root of the stink and keep your house from turning into a full-blown horror story.