House Smells Like Hot Attic

Chimney smells can be drawn into the house when these are left open.

House smells like hot attic.

Electrical shielding wires and other plastic components emit a fish or urine smell when exposed to high heat. If there is moisture damage or the appearance of mildew on any exposed insulation then pull the damaged insulation down and stuff it into garbage bags. Use a flashlight to look over the attic for the source of the smell. They explain that when an animal dies in the attic it s common for the smell to permeate the whole house.

It just doesn t seem right does it smell all the time. Gable vent in end of outside wall high up in peak end. Air is being drawn from attic into house via duct return leakage. On cool days no smell but when the attic gets hot the one bedroom has the smell.

If that s not the problem vacuum and then scrub the firebox the area that contains the fire at the base of the chimney. In my world its pretty simple. Sniffed the walls the floor outlets ac vents no moldy window sills and it s mostly in the doorway. Air is being drawn in from attic into house via openings in the ceiling which is now connected to the attic.

What you need to do is isolate the problem. Ducts usually leak like crazy. Chances are yours are little chimneys just sucking that hot humid air back into your house. If the smell persists after the firebox has dried following this cleaning call in a chimney sweep to clean and inspect your chimney.

Unless it is fish this strange smell is probably emanating from a burning electrical component. If you do not have any of these your attic gets really hot and. Also ridge vent is popular in homes with new roof less than 10 years old. On a really warm day while the air is turned off hold a lit piece of incense up under the can light and watch the smoke dance as the air pours into your house.

If it does you need big honkin fans to exhaust the house so you can start to isolate where the smell s coming from bottom up attic down from the vents. Like any scent you may even grow used to some of these dangerous house smells so it s important to be hyperaware of the following smells to keep you safe. Duct work is also a big culprit.