Why Does My Room Smell Like Fish?

Have you ever walked into your bedroom and felt like you were passing through a seafood market without any fish present? There is nothing more annoying than entering a room that smells like rotting fish when you never even had a fish in there.

A bedroom is where we all want our minds and body to relax. But if the room is filled with a rotten fish smell, I doubt anyone can relax there. However, if you suspect gas leaking, then you should know that CO2 is an odorless gas. Also, do you have an aquarium? Well, most people keep them to release anxiety but fishes don’t live forever and you should keep an eye over them to see if dead fishes are making foul smells.

If you are also going through the same unpleasant experience and can’t tell where the fishy smell is coming from, we’re here for you. We have compiled a list of all possible reasons that cause your room to smell like a seafood section in a grocery store.

All Possible Reasons Why A Room Smells Like Fish

None of us would like to live in a room packed with a rotting fish smell. Persistent rotten odors in a room can leave a depressing effect on you, such as a headache.

However, a dirty pair of socks and sweaty clothes are not always the mere culprits behind nasty smells. Sometimes, it could be from a loose connection or old wiring, a dirty mattress – a slightly wet carpet, or an AC that is constantly dripping water.

1. Burning Electrical Equipment

Most probably, If we smell something fishy in our bedrooms or house, we dismiss it as trash smells. But if even after throwing the trash can and cleaning the room, the fishy smell remains, you might have a life-threatening problem – a burning or overheated electrical system.

Fishy smells in a room may be a warning that you immediately need an electrician. Faulty breakers, overloaded circuits, loose plugs in outlets, old frayed wires, or overheated electrical shielding may emit rotten odors or an annoying fishy smell.

Typically, the wires in your room are coated with plastic insulation. An unpleasant fish or urine-like smell is emitted from these wires when they heat up significantly.

According to statistics given by NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), every year, malfunction or electrical failure sets more than 45,000 houses on fire, causing 1,300 injuries and 400+ deaths.

Why Does The Electrical System Get Overheated?

According to Chris Korinek, who is an experienced forensic engineer, there are the following main reasons that can cause electrical systems to get overheated:

• Excessive current
• Insulation breakdown
• Poor connections
• Inductive heating (in rare situations)

Over a long period, poor connections can generate a relevantly high wattage over a small area. Therefore, poor connections can significantly heat the electrical systems, leading to an electrical fire.

The fishy room can be an early warning of an alarming situation such as an electrical fire.

From an electrical perspective, If you ever notice a fishy smell in your house then you should get into action immediately and check for all switches, plugs, and wirings for possible burning or heating signs.

Now, there are two cases. If you successfully identify where the smell is coming from then turn off that appliance. However, if you’re not able to pinpoint the source, then isolate the entire circuit using an RCD (Residual-current-device) and quickly contact a certified electrician to handle the problem.

Generally, the problems arise due to loose plugs or sockets that have been overloaded by a high-powered appliance. It is seen in most cases that the problem is resolved by replacing the plug socket. However, the damage can be big if the wiring is spoiled because it will require replacing the entire wiring of the house.

What Should You Do In Such A Situation?

If you happen to detect a fishy or urine-like smell in your room coming from the outlets or circuits, immediately turn off and unplug everything connected with them. Get a hold of a nearby electrician and let him thoroughly check your room’s electrical system.

If the electrician finds something wrong with the system, consider yourself lucky as experts say that most electrical fire warning signs are odorless.

An Advice

You should get regular electrical inspection reports from a professional to ensure your wirings and the overall electrical system in your room are functioning well. Request a qualified and experienced electrician to pay regular visits to avoid any fatal incident.

2. Smell From Old Mattress

If everything is well with the electrical system of your room, but the room still smells fishy, your mattress may be the next possible culprit.

According to statistics, the average adult in the United States sweats approximately 26 gallons in his bed per year, making the bed a real paradise for bacteria (i.e., Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, etc.) and fungus.

According to a recent study, a seven-year-old mattress had roughly fifteen million colony-forming bacteria per square inch. Your mattress can harbor all sorts of filth, including mold, yeast, or even staphylococcus bacteria, which has a decaying, rotten smell.

The fishy or rotten smell in your room might be caused by all these bacteria and fungus lurking just under your mattress.

What Should You Do In Such A Situation?

If you happen to detect a fishy or rotten smell in your room coming from the mattress, follow these simple steps to deep clean it:

• Take out your mattress.
• Evenly cover your mattress with baking soda.
• Let the baking soda set for at least half an hour or one. Best if you could wait for 24 hours.
• Place your mattress near an open area like a window so that sunlight can also help disinfect the mattress. It will be a great plus if you have an open space where your mattress can get the sunlight directly.
• After half an hour or one, thoroughly clean the mattress with a vacuum cleaner. It will be a plus if your vacuum cleaner has a brush attachment.

An Advice

We highly recommend you deep clean your mattress at least twice a year. Don’t get lazy and haul your foul-smelling mattress off the bed and give it a thorough cleanse. Additionally, cover your mattress with a washable and waterproof protector to get rid of dirt, stains, and even mites.

3. Mold In The AC Unit

Typically speaking, ACs produce a moldy and stale-like smell that few people mistake for a fishy smell. AC smells fishy or musty when there is an accumulation of water inside AC ducts or drains pan.

As a result of this water accumulation, fungus or mold grows up. Sometimes, your AC may give you visible signs such as water leakage in the indoor ductless unit to inform you where the smell is coming from.

Also, a fishy or musty smell can be caused by the dirty filters of your AC. It is common for moisture to accumulate in your AC’s filters if you are living in a place where the weather remains hot and humid for most of the time.

What Should You Do In Such A Situation?

Call a professional if you detect a fishy or musty smell in your room coming from the air conditioner. We might not advise you to clean the AC on your own as it can lead to further complications. Sometimes, it’s wise to let the professional do their job.

Request a professional to clean your AC ducts and lines thoroughly. Hopefully, after a thorough inspection, you’ll be able to get rid of the foul smell.

Conclusion

A fishy smell in the room doesn’t always dictate that the owner had a fish in there last night. Sometimes, it can be an early warning of an alarming situation such as an electrical fire. A fishy smell can also be emitted from the years-old, bacteria-filled mattress as well as from molds accumulated in your AC unit.

In case of faulty breakers, overloaded circuits, loose plugs in outlets, old frayed wires, or overheated electrical shielding, it’s wise to call a professional electrician. Let the expert do his job as you might end up creating more issues.