Why do people makes things that smell of burning electrics? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: paulca
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2018, 09:38:47 am
content: I keep sitting bolt upright and sniffing like a mercat only to remember the cutting mat I've just got sitting on the desk below my nose smells like burning wire insulation.Similarly the DuPont wire set I bought smells of burning electronics and routinely tricks me into worrying unnecessarily.It's really annoying. It should be banned. Things leaving a factory need to be passed under an EE's nose for the "smells like burning electrics test".

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2018, 09:42:04 am
content: The smell of burnt toast or rubber can be an early sign of a brain tumor or stroke, but only if you're the only one who can smell it.

author: paulca
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2018, 09:45:52 am
content: Quote from: Psi on January 14, 2018, 09:42:04 amThanks. A cheerful thought for my Sunday morning.I don't think it's that uncommon for plastic molding process, release agents etc. to leave a smell of burning plastic. The Dupont leads smelling of burning electronics is just irritating though. They have that acrid burning PVC with a hint of ozone smell.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2018, 09:52:11 am
content: Bunch of rubber/plastic stuff from china has this issue. I had USB cables that reeked for weeks. I just placed them outside. And a laser IR thermometer, that gave me rash where I touched it, until I cleaned it with a lot of water and alcohol.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 03:09:55 am
content: Quote from: paulca on January 14, 2018, 09:45:52 amIt shouldn't --- good clean freshly molded plastic smells "solventy" or slightly paraffin-like. Burnt smell either means the machines are set to the wrong temperature or accumulated burnt gunk from lack of cleaning. Not surprising in cheap stuff, however.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 03:16:37 am
content: Is there an open bottle of Laphroaig 10 around? Drink it, it will solve the problem.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 07:10:41 am
content: Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on January 15, 2018, 03:16:37 amWhat, no love for Balvenie?

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 09:44:36 am
content: The manufacturers don't do this deliberately. Burning plastic produces a variety of volatile organic compounds, some of which are also used in the manufacture of plastics, rubbers and adhesives, so it's not surprising some new products smell burnt.

author: Calambres
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 09:49:33 am
content: Better try Lagavulin: success guaranteed.

author: Neomys Sapiens
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 09:46:20 pm
content: Quote from: Calambres on January 15, 2018, 09:49:33 amCaol Ila respectively Port Askaig (18yrs cask strength).Or Ardbegh's Uigedail or Corryvreckan.

author: paulca
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2018, 11:55:47 am
content: A boss gave me a present for going above and beyond the call which he had received from a client.I don't remember the distillery name, but it was a numbered bottle, something like #1800 from a since closed Scottish distillery. 82.5% by volume, single malt. I looked it up on ebay and it was selling for around £180 a bottle.I drank it after verifying it would light and burn easily. Took me a while and it was potent.