The smell is going to be strong, and it can be toxic to your health. A visual inspection of the space heater should tell you if theres something foreign inside. Do you dread showering because your shower drain smells of rotten eggs? A burning rubber smell in your home deserves serious attention. In such a case, it could be the intense car traffic outside or possibly someone burning something. Another problem people encounter is a skunk scent. You can simply turn the heating system on and off a few times, and it should do the trick to blow the dust out of the system. Plus, spilling grease in the oven or burner will release smoke and may cause a fire. 2023 Home Smitten. Q: The last time I used my dryer I detected a distinct burning odor. When you purchase a new home, you also have to take a look at your wiring and make sure that it is not the cause of the issue. The burning plastic smell can be an indication that you have an electrical fire. Components within your HVAC system such as the blower motor contain rubber than can burn out over time and produce a strong smell. You can use DIY remedies like vinegar to neutralize the odor, but you might also need to hire a professional. If the burnt rubber smell occurs soon after you have turned on the dishwasher, open the door. Included is: What are you waiting for? In case you just obtained a new item, that could be the culprit as well. When the burning rubber smell comes from outside, How to get rid of the strange burning rubber smell in the house. If this describes your situation, then the burning plastic smell could be from your air conditioning system getting too hot. Your HVAC system might be producing a burning plastic smell because of the following reasons: READ ALSO: Can You Safely Run the Air Conditioner in Cold Weather? Overheating can occur if youre drying a large load of heavy clothes for an extended period of time. If you have noticed an unpleasant odor coming from your oven, it might be time to take some preventative measures. No one wants to invite bad odor, especially a burning smell in their house. Check out this post about air conditioning smells! The water heaters are generally located in your basement, attic, or even a utility closet. When you put your heating system on for the first time in the year, you will probably notice a burning plastic-type smell. White vinegar is an easy DIY solution that you can use to clean appliances that may smell like burnt rubber. This is because air conditioners generate a fair amount of heat in the process of cooling your home. Boiled lemons are ideal for absorbing lingering smells in the kitchen as well as other areas of your house. All appliances contain electrical components that can go bad and produce a burning smell. A burning plastic smell coming from your water heater could signify one of the components overheating and should be checked over by a professional. Some people choose to replace old appliances before these types of issues starting. To keep yourself (and your family) safe, here are a few ways to get rid of the burning rubber smell: 1. When I finally woke, it was so traumatizing, I called my doctor, because it reminded me of my friend's house in Seattle in 1976 . Burning plastic is known to cause respiratory issues, and it could harm your lungs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So dont ignore the warning smell of burning rubber in your newly renovated home, ever. However, you should avoid appliances that overheat, produce a buzzing sound, and smell like something is burning to be safe. The smell of burning rubber pervading your home can be a symptom of much larger and more dangerous problems. Generally, it means you have some mold growing in your ductwork or on the air conditioning coil mounted above your furnace. Air conditioners are another potential source of a burning rubber smell in your home. The wind is blowing it some to the front. As a result, it overheats and emits a burning smell. These pollutants can worsen cardiovascular and respiratory problems, leading to cancer, lung disease, and asthma. Smell of Something Burning. Also, the blower unit on the heating system, if that's potentially going bad that could cause a burnt-rubber smell, which would be circulated through the house via the heating-and-air-conditioning duct systems. Type of Dirt to Use Around House Foundation. We love tea, but it can be one of the most stubborn stains to get rid of. This is because air conditioners generate a fair amount of heat in the process of cooling your home. Clogged air filters and excessive dust in ventilation shafts cause a charred, sour smell to permeate the air when the HVAC system kicks on. These cookies do not store any personal information. In some cases, the flexible pipe will then attach to a hard metal or PVC pipe of the same diameter at the point where the pipe enters the wall. Electrical outlets that trigger. If thats not an option, then youll have to keep your windows and doors open or run an air conditioning system to pump in fresh air. I also smelled wet burnt wood, and it was very upsettting. Rubber, a naturally occurring flexible product used in everything from car tires to window trim, is not meant to burn. This could be something electrical in the home overheating and melting its insulating plastic or rubberwhich could lead to a fire. Top Causes, Basement Smells After Rain? You could have zero sense of smell because of allergies or even a cold if youre dealing with a stuffy nose. So those would be the first two things that I might think about. An electrical fire can cause a burning plastic smell. If you think that the smell is powerful or you see smoke anywhere in the home, you will need to remove yourself from the house as soon as possible. Get your car checked over by a qualified technician if you are unsure where the burning smell is coming from. This creates heat and friction, which eventually will cause the belt to melt. How? The quicker you can identify the burning smell, the better the chance you have of taking care of the issue prior to it getting worse. If you have any type of respiratory issues or concerns, this is something that you will have to avoid at all costs. With less air coming into the system, your blower motor has to work longer to cool your home. I was lucky to discover that my burning smell was pretty simple to fix and had not yet caused the house to set on fire. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The dust tends to smell like burning plastic because it has sat in the vents throughout the course of the year. Empty the lint trap after every load. nasal polyps. If not, this might cause the smell. Pungent odors also contain health-endangering chemicals such as cyanide and carbon monoxide. The heating system is designed to generate a good amount of heat, and because of this, you will notice that it has the potential to create a strong smell throughout the home. Therefore, it is crucial to remove plastic fumes and odor. Air conditioners and refrigerators both use the same basic cooling principle. The water heater has components that can overheat, and you will probably notice this smell when you are trying to get hot water for your home. Its a common complaint and one that is caused by bacteria living in the shower drain. 1. Unfortunately, these circumstances are beyond your control. If the burnt rubber smell occurs soon after you have turned on the dishwasher, open the door. I believe everyone deserves a comfortable home with excellent air quality. Chances are there is an area where the smell is coming from, and it is caused by faulty wiring. Required fields are marked *. Lets take a look at the most common reasons that your house smells like burning rubber. This can sometimes occur after installing new paint, fixtures, flooring, carpet, and other improvements. river james murray . This is common with older vacuums or if with frequent use. Furnace smells like burning plastic. Malfunctions in the dryers heating element or even faulty wiring in your house could be causing the burning smell. UK/Ireland Location: Stirlingshire. Try to think about whichappliancesyou have on in the house or whichlights. You can speed up the process by turning on ceiling fans. This is a question that people ask me all the time. However, if you smell burning and cant discover whereit is comingfrom, call an emergency electrician immediately. Sometimes you might have Parosmia, which is an underlying health condition that may distort your sense of smell. Simply open a box and place it in the fridge or on the counter near the source of the smell. Before a full recovery, many patients who have Covid-related loss of smell describe a period when they experience phantom smells like burning rubber or smoke or other foul odors that aren't really . Get your heater checked over by an electrician before you use it again, just to be on the safe side. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. All rights reserved. When you first turn the heater on after an extended period, the dust on the element can smell like burning. If it is not kept clean, the smell will linger, and it can smell like plastic burning. 1. Now youve learned what to do if your house smells like burning plastic, you might like to read about how to deal with a stinky washing machine! The stench was disgusting. After checking everything inside, we went outside. The burning of old tires, garbage, and other waste may create a burning rubber smell. Whether its white t-shirts that have lost their vibrancy, a favorite skirt gone dull, or sheets and towels with an eerie grey tint this can be one of the most frustrating laundry mishaps for anyone. The rubber belt in an AC blower fan can wear out and create a burning smell in your house. If you cant eliminate other issues that could be making this burning plastic smell, you will have to call an electrician to have a look. This could include any of your appliances like televisions, computers, dishwashers, and more. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. With all of the wiring being new, it may need some inspections done to it and a bit of time running to make sure there are going to be no issues with this overall wiring situation. However, sometimes your air conditioner gives off a plastic burning smell that can be confusing and frustrating. Whenever you detect the odor of burning rubber, remain cautious no matter what you suspect the cause may be. Waking up to the scent of burning rubber in the middle of the night shouldnt be ignored. Thats a sign that the unit is either faulty or was poorly designed and its components are overheating. Can You Safely Run the Air Conditioner in Cold Weather? To deal with smells from new items, you may have to leave them outside overnight. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. These are likely to be the contacts located on the thermostat outside of the water heater - when they overheat, they can give off a burning plastic smell. What can it be? Dripping of food on the ovens bottom is more common than grease splatters! Otherwise, a house smells like rubber due to outside causes if your windows are open. Copyright 2023 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. If this is the case, the dryer is safe to use, just open a window and its burning smell should soon subside. I checked book bags and rucksacks to ensure nothing was lurking, asIvemade that mistake before with amoldylunchbox during the summer holidays! Sometimes after owning the house for a month or so, you will need to address some of these issues with the builder. If the heater has a leak andantifreeze is leaking into it, that can cause the car to smell of burning. When you start to smell a burning plastic smell, you have to be very careful about handling it. If you can smell burning rubber or plastic from your, chances are your contacts are overheating. A typical lint trap captures about 70 to 80 percent of lint generated during drying, but the remaining airborne lint fibers are drawn out through the vent pipe, a flexible pipe about four inches in diameter that attaches to the back of the dryer. Rust stains have proven to be some of the hardest stains to remove [], Chapstick stains happen when kids ( and adults ) forget to empty their pockets; the Chapstick goes through the washing machine and sometimes ends up in the dryer, resulting in a greasy ChapStick stain in the laundry. Place baking soda overnight to absorb the unpleasant odor. how to deal with a stinky washing machine! There are several possible reasons why your house smells like rubber. Some days it wasnt there at all, which was very odd. Overheated power supplies can burn components within TVs, microwaves, toaster ovens, cooktops, and refrigerators. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If these items are brand-new or quite old, they may emit a burning smell if damaged, dust-coated, or worn-out. Make sure to regularly check for plastic, rubber, or wooden lids or utensils that may have fallen astray. The heating system is built to move warm air throughout the house. In that case, the smell will dissipate fairly quickly and is not a cause of alarm. Mydaughters roomwas by far the worst and gave off the most rotten smell of them all. Electrical fires are dangerous as they can be either in plain view or behind the walls of the home. Have the dryer inspected and professionally inspected at least once every two years to ensure everything is functioning correctly. We had a horrific burning plasticsmelland hadno idea what was causing it. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED HomeMindset.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon website (amazon.com amazon.in etc) and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. If a variety of people cannot agree theres a smell, you may consider consulting a physician. Besides feeling a little discomfort, inhaling rubber fumes for prolonged durations can irritate the lungs. They have specific tools that they can use to help them find the source of the issue. If the air conditioning system is not the cause of the issue, you need to check around to ensure that it is not a fire that is being spread throughout the house. If youve ever had bad smells coming from your sink or garbage disposal, it may well be that you have a P Trap problem [], Its so easy to get rust stains on your shirt. Most of todays dryers have an internal thermostat that will shut the machine off if it gets too hot. Outside, the odor may be due to electrical issues, neighbors' burn pits, or damaged cars. Typically, a house smells like rubber if there are problems with wires or your HVAC system. Its not uncommon to catch some weird or pungent smells at home.