Last summer, my husband and two sons scheduled a fish charter and after a day spent on the lake, came home with a cooler full of fish.
We cooked the fish on the barbecue and enjoyed a delicious dinner on our back patio.
I froze the remaining fish and forgot about it until the winter months. I thought it would be nice to bake the fish in the oven for dinner. The smell of the fish was strong. It spread through the entire house. It was equally as pungent in the bedrooms upstairs as in the kitchen. I expected the odor to dissipate within a few hours, Instead, it lingered for days. Because the outdoor temperature was well below freezing, I couldn’t open the windows. I tried cleaning the house thoroughly, spraying a deodorizer and burning scented candles. Nothing worked. I realized that the smell had gotten into the ductwork and was absorbed by a buildup of dust and other debris. Every time the furnace started up, the odor was circulated throughout the house. I contacted my local HVAC contractor and scheduled duct testing. The technician discovered a great deal of debris accumulated within the ductwork, restricting airflow and diminishing system efficiency. He brought in a machine that included a lengthy hose with a brush attachment that he fed into the duct system and used to dislodge and suck up the contaminants. The process took a couple of hours and provided an immediate and significant improvement. I’ve seen a definite reduction in my utility bills. The furnace and air conditioner don’t need to run as often and yet the house is cleaner and more comfortable.