Kettles and the smell of fish - very unusual phenomenom.

[Carrera2]

Here's one for you,

At work, every time the kettles boiled there's a revolting smell of fish! I assumed it was the kettle and so destroyed it and bought a new one - however the smell is worse than ever.

I've asked the new girl if she's 'clean' and she assures me that she is so it's definitely the kettle.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Omitting "kettle of fish" jokes as they're too obvious.

Could be something to do with the steam - I have noticed this before in certain rooms. Could be, for example, fish based glue heating up/getting moist and starting to smell. Could be the walls need wiping down?

[kerfuffle]

Do you work in a fishmongers? Or on a trawler?

Tried to fit in a 'but that's a different kettle of fish' joke but couldn't be bothered

[lazyitus]

This happened at our work. Every time I opened a certain draw, there was a disgusting fish type smell.

Turned out that due to the angle that my head had to tilt to look inside the drawer, my abscess (which I didn't know I had) was draining into my nose and creating the smell.

Nasty - tooth out and anti-biotics and off we went.

Hope this is not what is happening to you.

[kerfuffle]

Perhaps it's your kipper tie

[Marki]

Carrera2 said:

Here's one for you, At work, every time the kettles boiled there's a revolting smell of fish! I assumed it was the kettle and so destroyed it and bought a new one - however the smell is worse than ever. I've asked the new girl if she's 'clean' and she assures me that she is so it's definitely the kettle. Any ideas what could be causing this?

I used to live in an appartment which had an electric shower , and this when used made a nasty fishy smell , i think it some wireing problem in the room where it was as it never smelt inside the shower

[motco]

It might be the 13 amp socket or plug overheating. They are moulded from a material called urea formaldehyde and if it gets hot it has a distinctly fish-like odour.

[ADDYBOY1982]

Apparently if electric sockets or wiring are a bit dodgy, they can smell of fish.

Stick ya finger in and smell your fingers as it were

[puggit]

I think it's the plaice you're working in. It cod be lots of things, have you haddock a look under the sink for a leak?

Eel wager its not really fish!

[motco]

Beat yer addyboy!

[eharding]

Definately get the plug & wiring checked -
fishy whiff a dead giveaway that something electrical is amiss.

[Carrera2]

My thought was electrical too but please keep the fish puns coming

I'll go and stick my finger in the socket and give it a sniff then......

[Carrera2]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

My thoughts exactly.

[ADDYBOY1982]

motco said:

Beat yer addyboy!

Damn, yer too quick for me

[Carrera2]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I'd happily 'hit it' as they say

[motco]

What seems to happen with 13a sockets that are regularly used on high loads is that the fuse gets hot and over time anneals the clips that grip it. The contact becomes less solid and more heating takes place, and so on....

[Pigeon]

Smell of fish from the kettle? That's nothing compared to what my kettle produces. I found an assassin bug in it the other day, a few months ago my pigeons managed to fill it up with brake fluid, and recently certain of them have taken to perching on the lid and crapping down the spout.

More seriously, the fishy smell is produced by amines generated by thermal decomposition of the resins used to make electrical fittings, which contain amide linkages. It means that either the wires connecting into the back of the socket have come loose or the socket itself is knackered and the springy bits are no longer gripping the plug pins tightly. I repeat the advice to inspect and rectify ASAP.

[Carrera2]

Update.


I have located the fishy culprit:



Could've been nasty.

[speedychrissie]

hang on a sec. i thought you had swapped the kettle. so how come it is the plug that is at fault? i thought it was gonna be the socket.

chris

[Carrera2]

On further investigation I discovered the kettle was plugged into an extension lead.....so although the kettle lead was replaced - the extension lead was left in situ.