Catching an Electrical Burn Early

Always trust your nose – that’s an old saying almost every professional cook learns in their trade, and there’s a very strong truth to it. Humans aren’t the strongest species when it comes to using smell to know what’s going on, but our noses still work to some extent. And one thing they pick up very well is the impact of a burning smell. And when it comes to an electrical burn smell, the difference is distinct; it includes a combination of burning plastic and insulation, other material nearby and a chemical smell from the electricity itself. As soon as that smell is picked up, it needs to be located and identified. While people-caused fires are the reason for a huge number of home fires, electrical burns contribute as well.

Multiple Locations are Possible

Most homes are networked with an electrical grid that runs through every wall and room. That includes wiring, junctions, connections, plugs, safety plugs for power near water sources, and lighting. Electrical connections also take care of powering other utilities like the temperature control on the water heater and the thermostats and motherboard on the HVAC system in the same home. As a result, an electrical burn can happen just about anywhere in a home. However, the most likely locations are going to be where there is a heavy draw, such as a space heater. Another good example would be a connection with an appliance plugged in, a power strip overloaded with too many devices, an old lamp, or a bathroom device too close to water. Old lights can also trigger problems as well as incorrectly-wired room fans.

Focusing on Odors

Because 99 percent of the electrical system in a home is hidden behind walls, smell is probably the best indicator available for a homeowner to identify where something might be wrong. Other signs of an electrical fire aren't visible until a fire actually occurs. The first signal should be a smell that isn’t right in a room that doesn’t have any outside ventilation. Kitchens tend to be swamped with food smells, but when there is a burning smell in a closet, a bathroom or bedroom, it’s another matter entirely.

Isolating the source of the smell is worth the time. Again, electrical burns will typically involve burning plastic as a wire ended up getting too hot and burning the wrapped material around it that would normally stop the wire from being exposed to anything else. All electrical wire is insulated except where it connects. So, burning plastic usually involves either a wire that got too hot with too much electrical load or a connection point. The plastic burn smell most often comes from the plastic itself catching fire and melting, off-gassing in the process.

However, interestingly enough, an electrical burn can also give a fish smell instead. Again, when this occurs in a room where it shouldn’t be, and there are no plates with leftover food clearly visible, then it’s a potential signal there’s been an electrical burn. In this case, the insulation or junction boxes have started heating up and off-gassing, but they’re not burning yet. The gas release is different and gives the signature fish-smell instead of an outright chemical burn.

In either situation, a burn smell is a serious condition and needs to be addressed immediately. The power to the room needs to be cut off at the fuse-breaker, and nothing electrical should be used in the room until the source is identified and repaired. A professional electrician is the best person to do this evaluation.

Don’t Risk a Mistake

If you think there’s an electrical short or burn, call for an electrician’s help as soon as possible. The cost of an inspection is nothing compared to the damage caused by a home fire, especially if it ends up destroying much of the home. Protect yourself and act if you see early signs of an electrical problem. You’ll thank yourself later for paying attention.