Strange Burning Odor

[autowasherfreak]

This afternoon while I was doing laundry I noticed a strange burning odor, and I couldn't tell where it came from. The dryer had been off for about 45 minutes, so I eliminated the dryer. The Maytag had just shut off, and the Frigidaire was running. I took the front panel off the Maytag, the motor was a little warm, but no odor. I went over to the Frigidaire, no odor there either. The odor was strongest in the middle of the room. The furnace wasn't running and the water heater had just shut off. I checked the breaker box to see if it was warm, it wasn't. I checked outlets, the freezer, lights everything seemed fine.

 

[toggleswitch2]

old fluorescent-tube light?

Sometimes, after many decades, the ballasts go and stink!

 

[spankomatic]

Looks like this is going to be a hard one to hunt down so FIRST make sure all your smoke detectors are working. Do you have one in the area where you smell smoke? If not,GET ONE.This could be so many things. Do not be afraid to call 911/Fire Dept to have them check it out,BEFORE THE HOUSE BURNS DOWN. You may have a wall fire smoldering from electrical wireing and not even know it.

A friend of mine years ago smelled smoke in her house. She called the fire dept and they could not find the source. The next day while she was sleeping the smoke detector went off. When she open her bedroom door the entire house was on fire. She ran for her LIFE to get out. Turns out what started the fire was a floor heater (old heater/old house)that was installed incorrectly against a wood beam in the floor. It had been smoldering the day before and finally ignited while my friend was asleep. The house burnt to the ground and she lost everything.

Please check all of your smoke detectors for your safety until you figure out what it is.

Jim

 

[spankomatic]

Is your Maytag dryer Halo-of-Heat type?

 

[fltcoils]

Smoke burning rubber smell

I was running a Holmes hot mist vaporizer.

The heater bulb is partially submerged into the bowl to make steam. Inside the heater bulb is a part to turn it off if the water boils away. This thermostat element about 3/16 sq by 1/2"long. It installed into the top of the bulb, into a slot. The potting on that thermostat had cracked. Moisture from the machine had dripped all over the heater, and had gotten down into the slot and then thru the cracks in the thermostat's potting. Then off to the races, 115 volts + water across the thermostat's contacts.

busssszzzzttttt. burning rubber smell really bad. some internet accounts exist of people finding flaming machines, I guess I was lucky.

Moral, materials have limited life, connections corrode. Mind that reality.

Appliances can have very localized failures. Heat, dirt, corrosion create the problems. so look for those factors.

Check the solenoids, They're designed to run hot but can self destruct over time. Check capacitors, Check timer or thermostat contacts. Hot nylon, vs rubber, vs polyester, vs polystyrine vs polyimid all have distinctive odors.

"Hot" only happens electrically if A) high resistance exists where current is flowing or B) too much current is flowing or C)insulation is failing. (I think that's all)

Get out an AM or SW radio. If there is a bad electrical connection you can hear the buzzing at 10mhz.

I hope this helps.

 

[toggleswitch2]

hmmm mine was stinking of burn as well.

The resistor that functions to achieve the "low" setting had burnt out.

I cut it out completely, "safed-up" and taped the wires and now the hudmidifer works on "HI" only.

 

[toggleswitch2]

burn makrs on the pantyhose

JOKE:

For all you heavy-set girls it could simply be your thighs rubbing against each-other abd heating up in panty hose as the friction builds as one walks, say to the refirgerator.

 

[peterh770]

Got a call today from the owner of the drycleaners next door to my laundry. Something was burning was the best he could tell me in his Korean-laden English.

I hope in the car and fly up there. I go in, don't smell a thing, so start questioning customers. A woman comes in thru the back door. She started her washer and it started burning immediately, so she pulled her clothes out, put them into the next washer and started it. She wanted a refund.

Which washer? She takes me to a Maytag top that is half full of just about pitch black water. Where are your clothes now? She points to the next washer over which is filling for a rinse. I open the lid -- BOB LOAD ON STEROIDS. Lady, you way overloaded the washer. The washer started; the poor little Maytag is thrashing for its life against about 30 pounds of heavy dark clothes. She says no, it started burning before it started washing; see the washer only filled up half way. Well, duh, you dumb broad, you took half the water with you when you transferred the load from this washer to that (no, I only thought that). Next time, use a front loader, I said. She said she always uses the tops. I opened the over-Bob-stuffed machine and did say, look, you overloaded it. Don't do this again. But it started burning before it was full. No ma'am, it wasn't, there is nothing to burn until the machine starts washing. You overloaded it.

I close the lid on the burning washer, and the machine starts to refill. I look at the time 28 minutes, the very beginning of the wash cycle. The machine finishes filling and starts washing no problem. I sniff around and can smell a little burned rubber, but it's left over in the cabinet. I get my half clothes pin, shove it between the lid and the switch and watch the rest of the cycle. No problem.

While I'm observing, she comes over and asks if the machine is working fine NOW. I said, of course it is, it isn't overloaded. Please don't overload these machines again.

Ran a load of rags in it next. No problem. She waddles back over, is everything ok now? No problem, just don't overload them again, I reiterated.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

 

[laundromat]

Happened here all the time---

until I got rid of the top looaders.We had the SQ units and the people who used them,abused them. I told at least 7 different customers here, who used to be regulars,that they needed to either fill our washers no more than 2/3 full or take there filthy wash elsewhere.Those who didn't follow through have been banned from using our machines.We lost two different washers and 3 dryers due to the neglegence and carelessness.One of them was mixing detergent with fabric softner causing a goo that built up in our drainage system making a horrific stench build up and stink like a dead animal.The laundromat is being thoroughly renovated now and the new machines will be installed next month.I sold the used units and ALL the washers are now front loaders.They have a full 3 year parts and labor warranty and can be electronicly locked so they won't come on.We had problems before with folks comming in the wee hours of the morning waking us up out of a deap sleep.When asked to leave,they'd take an attitude saying they hiked all the way from Waipio Valley to do their wash.We have signs that show our "sun up to sun down" opening and closing as well as the complete instructions on how to operate the machines.

 

[retro-man]

Sometimes I will get a smokey smell in the house, one time it will be downstair and another time it will be upstairs. I searched and searched, shut the power off for the entire house and still it persisted. After many hours of moving ceiling tiles checking circuit breakers and such i finally found the source. On days when the weather is changing here from bitter cold to spring and summer temps the warm air from outside is forced down my chimneys for my fireplaces and into the rooms. There is no smoke just a burning smell from the fireplaces. It usually goes away once it has warmed up outside for a spell. Maybe your chimney that the water heater is connected to is giving you this odor. Check it out, this may be the culprit. My smoke detectors would not pick this up and go off, since there were no particles for it to register with.
Jon

 

[autowasherfreak]

Well, guys I feel really, really stupid. There was nothing burning, all the machines are fine. I had left a cup of coffee on the shelf, oh for about 3 weeks or so, and the odor was from that. It smelled like burnt coffee. Thank God there was nothing wrong with the machines, but it is time to clean the dryer duct again.

 

[spankomatic]

Nothing like a "fire drill"! Glad all turned out to be ok.

 

[alr2903]

Question for laundromat

Not to go off topic: Is water consumption an issue in Hawaii, are there natural aquifier's, mountain water? I would love to see Hawaii one day. alr2903

 

[autowasherfreak]

I did some more laundry yesterday, and no odor what so ever! I was hoping that a machine wasn't burning, especially the Maytag TL'er, she's my fav!