Smells like fish ??

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ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Anyone ever hear of or experience wiring or devices smelling like fish.
I met with a home owner claiming the hall occasionally smells like fish and that they read on line about wiring could catch on fire that smells like fish.

I didn't smell anything. The hall has two switches, a ceiling light outlet an a exterior light outlet.
The wiring is the "older" bx that you don't like to touch.. the type with the taped splices.

The switches, one older ceramic with terminals on the front, one older fat one probably the next generation.

I didn't smell anything in or around the box, I turned switches on and off several times, working and no fish smell. Left the light on for about an hour while I was there, no smell.

They said the smell comes and goes, stated about two months ago, they've been there 30 yrs.

Think it could be electrical ? I've smelled burn or burning in the past but never the smell of "fish".

Thoughts?


I'm thinking spooks.

Thank you
 
Several similar threads on different sites indicate the plastic from older overheating outlets / fixtures / breakers was determined to be the source of fish-like odor. That particular chemical family is "amines". I can't find exactly which plastic (or its era of use) is known to do this.
 

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Thank you. Found some similar threads which as you stated pointed to devices.

As long as it's not the wiring. !!

Some articles use the scare tactic so the owners are concerned and I don't want to give falls info to them.

Ty
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Several similar threads on different sites indicate the plastic from older overheating outlets / fixtures / breakers was determined to be the source of fish-like odor. That particular chemical family is "amines". I can't find exactly which plastic (or its era of use) is known to do this.

I believe it's the same odor as decomp. Small critter in the wall couldn't find its way out...
 

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
Several similar threads on different sites indicate the plastic from older overheating outlets / fixtures / breakers was determined to be the source of fish-like odor. That particular chemical family is "amines". I can't find exactly which plastic (or its era of use) is known to do this.

"Bakelite", widely used for a long time as a substitute for porcelain for a while up until maybe the 60s, emitted a fishy odor when it became hot. It was made from phenols and formaldehyde so when it emitted the smell, that meant it was breaking down. Bakelite was also used for a lot of non electrical things too like drawer handles and other furniture parts, jewelry, radio cases, even some old cookware. But it was mostly the electrical devices made with it that would outgas that odor. Those old receptacles and switches should be replaced.
 

JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
I thought some older ballasts could smell like fish when failing... never smelled fishy wiring, tho I have found a dead animal smell that wasnt caused by a dead animal... a 10 ton AC disco burning up.
 

Stebs

Member
Location
E. Ks
Had a house that had the occasional fish smell, had a really hard time tracking it down. Those same threads/websites led us to check things. Found a receptacle that the back of it was all melted and burnt from an apparent loose connection. Replaced it and checked all the others for tightness and no problems since. I'd post a pic but you all know how photobucket is now days..

Might want to check all nearby receptacles as well since your lighting circuit could be fed through one.
 

user 100

Senior Member
Location
texas
Anyone ever hear of or experience wiring or devices smelling like fish.
I met with a home owner claiming the hall occasionally smells like fish and that they read on line about wiring could catch on fire that smells like fish.

I didn't smell anything. The hall has two switches, a ceiling light outlet an a exterior light outlet.
The wiring is the "older" bx that you don't like to touch.. the type with the taped splices.

The switches, one older ceramic with terminals on the front, one older fat one probably the next generation.

I didn't smell anything in or around the box, I turned switches on and off several times, working and no fish smell. Left the light on for about an hour while I was there, no smell.

They said the smell comes and goes, stated about two months ago, they've been there 30 yrs.

Think it could be electrical ? I've smelled burn or burning in the past but never the smell of "fish".

Thoughts?


I'm thinking spooks.

Thank you


Outside of the fish smell, another distinctive odor that is given off by old overheating/melting devices, as well as ancient cloth wiring, is an acrid combo that will remind you of a "boiling maple syrup w/vinegar smell"- I know, thats an odd description, but once you smell it, you'll never forget it.
 

ggunn

PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
What's that smells like fish, oh baby
I really would like to know...

Hot Tuna, "Keep On Truckin'", circa 1972
 

oldsparky52

Senior Member
Some articles use the scare tactic so the owners are concerned and I don't want to give falls info to them.

I think that is a great way to be, but .... I would offer to remove every device and fixture and inspect the devices and connections plus the wiring in the box, and after that if they are still concerned I would give them a price to rewire the house, and I would not lose any sleep (especially if I didn't use strong armed scare tactics).
 

mtfallsmikey

Senior Member
I have an old Xcelite nutdriver set in my tool chest at home, has a funky smell to them, not sure if it's fishy or the classic Bakelite smell...
 

RumRunner

Senior Member
Location
SCV Ca, USA
Occupation
Retired EE
Isn't fish paper a common item in the electrical trade/industry?

An old electrician once said that before it gained popularity in the industry and because of it's dielectric strength, it was used for wrapping fish.

It is not only super strong but it is also non-porous when treated with paraffin.
I wonder if it is also made of sharkskin.:lol:
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
I have an old Xcelite nutdriver set in my tool chest at home, has a funky smell to them, not sure if it's fishy or the classic Bakelite smell...

I know exactly what you mean. No, not fishy or Bakelite. It smells like cheese. :sick:

Matter of fact Xcelite reformulated the plastic they use for the handles just because of that. Now it has a cheesey perfume smell. :sick::sick:

As for overheated Bakelite smelling like fish- I disagree. Maybe to the lay person, but to me Bakelite has a very distinctive smell, one that immediately makes me follow my nose and look for a overheated Bakelite item.

-Hal
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
Isn't fish paper a common item in the electrical trade/industry?

An old electrician once said that before it gained popularity in the industry and because of it's dielectric strength, it was used for wrapping fish.

It is not only super strong but it is also non-porous when treated with paraffin.
I wonder if it is also made of sharkskin.:lol:

I don't know about its history, but "fish paper" today is a fibrous cardboardy phenolic impregnated type of material used to separate or insulate electrical and electronic components. A good example is the material that Tork and Intermatic use for the removable wiring compartment covers on their time clocks.

-Hal
 

RumRunner

Senior Member
Location
SCV Ca, USA
Occupation
Retired EE
I don't know about its history, but "fish paper" today is a fibrous cardboardy phenolic impregnated type of material used to separate or insulate electrical and electronic components. A good example is the material that Tork and Intermatic use for the removable wiring compartment covers on their time clocks.

-Hal

The texture of fish paper resembles card board. I worked as an apprentice at a transformer and electric motor rewinding shop and we used a lot of fish paper.
It is primarily used in insulating magnet coils of the rotor/stator and also protects the varnish coating of the magnet coil's from sharp edges of the laminated core.

It's the same in dry type transformer's ferro-resonant core.
 
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