These 8 smells that you should never neglect in your interior

You feel an unusual smell in your house ? Perhaps this is a sign of a serious problem which absolutely must be treated as quickly as possible. Breathing certain odors can indeed be dangerous for your healthand postponing the problem can aggravate the situation, causing significant damage and requiring expensive repairs.

How distinguish dangerous odors from simple unpleasant odors (like that of an expired product)? To find out, our colleagues from HuffPost interviewed several experts in interior repair, plumbing and heating, who listed no less than 8 smells that should alert usespecially when their source is unknown.

1) Smoke

This may seem obvious, but Above all, you should not ignore the alarm signal from your smoke detector. when it triggers. “The smell of smoke, even if you are not cooking or burning anything, can indicate a hidden fire risk in the walls or attic, or near the exterior of the house”, explains Courtney Klosterman, home security expert at Hippo, an American insurance company. It is therefore not necessary do not delay in finding the source of the smoke odor when she arrives.

2) The smell of rotten eggs

Who says rotten egg smell, often says gas leak. “As natural gas is odorless, power companies add sulfur or rotten egg smell to warn you of a gas leak”, says Courtney Klosterman. These leaks can lead to serious consequences, such as explosions or poisoning. If this is possible, it is necessary turn off the gas immediately and call your gas company. It is also recommended to have a gas leak detector on hand.

3) The smell of sewage in the bathroom

When the smell of sewage is felt in the bathroom, it means that you need to check the siphons. “When the siphon dries out, it lets in a smell of gas”explains plumber Kelly Ireland. “All you have to do is turn on the water every two weeks and fill the siphon“, she advises. Note that this problem mainly occurs in rarely used bathrooms.

4) The smell of ammonia or urine in the toilet

This unpleasant odor may be sign that the wax ring at the base of the toilet is broken. This ring serves to prevent sewer gases from diffusing into the room. “Sewer gas can seep under the toilet and you don’t realize it until you have a stain on the ceiling or it starts to come out of the bottom of the toilet”, says Kelly Ireland. Another clue to know if the wax ring is broken: “When I walk into a bathroom and smell that smell, I always check if the toilet is tipping.”

5) The rotten egg smell coming from running water

Water is not supposed to have an odor. If it smells like rotten eggs in particular, it’s probably the sign that the water heater is starting to deteriorate. “In general, it is then necessary to replace partslike the anode rods”, specifies Kelly Ireland. The sooner the problem is resolved, the the less expensive the repairs will be.

6) Musty or musty

Yellowish spots on the walls or cracks at the joints are the result a slow water leak inside the walls. These molds also give off unpleasant odors and represent a danger for the most vulnerable. “This may pose a health risk, especially for people with allergies or respiratory problems”says Courtney Klosterman.

7) Burning smell coming from appliances

A burning smell may be a sign of electrical failure in appliances, wiring or outlets. In the worst cases, these failures can cause fires. For example, it is necessary to regularly check whether there is lint in the filter of your dryer. “If you smell burning plastic or an electrical odor with no identifiable source, unplug the power and contact an electrician“advises Courtney Klosterman. “Take the time to familiarize yourself with the location of electrical circuit breakers in the House. Each circuit breaker must be individually labeled to indicate the area where the electricity is routed.”she continues.

8) Sweet smells coming from the air conditioning

Sometimes a dangerous smell isn’t unpleasant. This is the case of the syrupy smell that may come from air conditioners, refrigerators or heatersWho “may indicate a coolant leak in your refrigerator or air conditioner. This requires immediate intervention to prevent the appliance from breaking down and refrigerant spilling, which can be harmful”, says Courtney Klosterman. It is therefore advisable to clean the filters air conditioners and heaters every season and vacuuming refrigerator capacitors every six months.

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Passionate about writing, Floréane is interested in a wide variety of subjects. When she is not writing about current affairs, the environment or gender issues, she takes refuge under a blanket…