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Baseboard heater smell

Baseboard heater smell

Baseboard heater smell

(OP)
Guys,

This may well be a question for home repair forums, but where else would I have access to such experts...

Any idea why after turning on an electric baseboard heater in my basement it would generate a strong sickly sweet smell?  It's quite disturbing. The building is an attached townhouse, and the basement is adjacent to a shared concrete parking garage.  The basement and garage are separated by a CMU wall.

(In a Stephen King sense - it smells like something evil...)

tg

RE: Baseboard heater smell

Burning hair/dirt/dead skin cells.

*shudder*

Thanks for making me think of that.

RE: Baseboard heater smell

(OP)
Like from a dead mouse for example?

tg

RE: Baseboard heater smell

Could be a dead critter, but just the crap that settles on the element over the summer can odorize things too.

RE: Baseboard heater smell

Dust bunnies usually, in my experience, come through as a slightly burnt smell, rather than sickly sweet.  Perhaps, sometime in the last 9 months, there was some spillage of some sort onto the heaters?

TTFN

FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

RE: Baseboard heater smell

(OP)
Very likely - the basement was painted when we moved in...

tg

RE: Baseboard heater smell

If the basement is prone to condensation or water seepage, you might be burning a thriving mold colony when you put it on. That's a really stinky affair.

Good on ya,

Goober Dave

RE: Baseboard heater smell

(OP)
Goober Dave,

I hope you're wrong...I'll open it up over the week-end.

But if you're right, what do I do?

tg

RE: Baseboard heater smell

It could also be dog, cat or rodent urine. Use a spray bottle of water and detergent to wash-off the heater. Catch the run-off with a towel. It could take a long time to burn-off by itself because baseboard heaters don't get very hot.

RE: Baseboard heater smell

trainguy,

When you said sickly sweet, the first thing I thought of is glycol, or antifreeze. Any chance of liquid leaking in from the garage?

Electric baseboard heaters are cheap; I would rip it out and start with a new one.

---KenRad

RE: Baseboard heater smell

Trainguy,

Don't forget to let us know what you find!  This has me really curious...

Good luck,

Goober Dave

RE: Baseboard heater smell

Is burning antifreeze different than boiling anitifreeze?  We had a glycol temperature control system for stimulating ICs, and my recollection is that the boiling glycol was quite acrid, and I had a sore throat from the fumes for a couple of days afterwards.

TTFN

FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

RE: Baseboard heater smell

Are there any little kids? Could be crayons, a peanut butter sandwich, gum - anything.

RE: Baseboard heater smell

(OP)
Guys,

Had the heaters on all day yesterday, and smell is 80% gone, on 1 of the units, and 100% gone on other unit.

All I saw was a few spiders, and a little bit of floor varnish, but that's it.

tg

RE: Baseboard heater smell

Varnish, that would do it.

RE: Baseboard heater smell

Thanks trainguy,

Glad you're mold-free!

I agree with MintJulep, varnish might smell sweet when burning.

Good on ya,

Goober Dave

RE: Baseboard heater smell

"strong, sickly sweet smell".... I recognize that from "Reefer Madness". The problem might be teenagers or jazz musicians.

RE: Baseboard heater smell

(OP)
My boys are not teens yet, but we are a musical family.  No jazz yet though.

I guess I should make sure they do not play jazz in their teen years.

tg

RE: Baseboard heater smell

We all come back to jazz in the end...

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