# Does "healthy" electricity smell?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-healthy-electricity-smell/322706>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 21, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-healthy-electricity-smell/322706 "2005-09-21T14:51:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-healthy-electricity-smell/322706/21 "2005-09-21T21:29:59Z")

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I’m also wondering about your house wiring. It sounds like it’s overdue for an upgrade. New, higher-capacity wires; 3-prong safety outlets… it’s a Good Thing.

I once knew someone who had had a housefire due to the freakiest of causes: a window-mounted A/C unit was vibrating, which (according to the investigator who examined the destruction) caused the electrical wiring inside the wall under the A/C to also vibrate, however slightly. Unfortunately that was sufficient to eventually wear away the insulation at one point and spark a fire inside the wall. :eek:

Do you have smoke alarms in your place?

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**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-healthy-electricity-smell/322706/22 "2005-09-22T02:06:22Z")

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Laser printers are supposed to be especially bad about throwing off ozone. If you’ve got two laser printers in a smallish room, that’s a real health hazard.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-healthy-electricity-smell/322706/23 "2005-09-22T02:20:50Z")

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It should be pointed out, in the interest of accuracy, that an actual arc is not necessary for the production of ozone. All that is needed is a sufficiently strong electric field between two conductors, which results in what is know as corona discharge. It can be seen in the dark as a faint bluish-purple glow. Corona disharge is responsible for the ozone production of copiers, laser printers and, of course, ozone generators.

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