skip to main content

The smell of burning paint?

12 years ago

I've scoured the web, and this forum seems to be the premiere "what is causing this smell" forum.

Our basement laundry room smells like burning paint. A couple of days ago I noticed an odd chemical smell in the house (end unit townhouse), but my husband had a bad cold and we weren't able to track down the smell.

The next morning we went down to the basement to do laundry and the smell about knocked us both over. It was very obviously coming from the laundry room. It smelled like a mix of burning, chemicals and paint.

We have an almost 30 year old standard fridge (big fridge, small freezer on top), a 10 year old top loading washer and a six month old dryer.

We unplugged the fridge because it seemed to be the culprit. After several hours that didn't seem to be helping. Next we unplugged the washer because it is leaving the clothes very wet and has been doing so for a few days. Still no help. Then we unplugged the dryer.

Today the smell is much less noticeable, but it is still here in the basement. It makes me really nervous. We do have a carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarms, neither of which have been set off.

My neibhor is a long time volunteer firefighter. He came over and said he didn't think it was anything electrical. He suggested we get the dryer vent cleaned out (something we have been meaning to do since we moved in 3 years ago). I made an appointment for Wed. morning, so we'll see if that helps.

I just wonder if I need an electrician or what? Both my husband and the neighbor said I don't need to call 911, even though it is freaking me out to sleep with those smells.

We have gas heat and a gas dryer, but it does not smell like gas. Now that everything is unplugged it mainly smells like paint (we last painted three years ago).

Like I said, we an are end unit townhouse. The laundry room is against the outside wall, so it shouldn't be a smell from neighbors. I have not been able to feel any heat radiating off the walls.

I have looked for any sort of chemical spills, but haven't found anything. The fridge doesn't seem to be leaking anything. I don't know what freon is supposed to smell like.

Sorry for the book. I was trying to give you as much information as possible to work from. Thank you in advance for any help you can give. I really appreciate any expertise you might have. In my hometown I would have had a ton of my dad's construction worker friends I could call, but now we live in a place were I don't know anyone who does that type of work.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
12 years ago
Next we unplugged the washer because it is leaving the clothes very wet and has been doing so for a few days.
My guess is that it 'could' be a worn belt on the washer that could be slipping and getting hot. I've 'smoked' belts on the riding lawn mower.

My second thought is that the smell will probably linger quite a while in the basement, if there is little to no air movement in it. Is it possible to let some outside air in?

I'd guess that given enough time, the smell will go away. Then, if you use the washer and smell it, you will know the washer is the culprit.

Sue
aidan_m
12 years ago
"My neibhor is a long time volunteer firefighter. He came over and said he didn't think it was anything electrical. He suggested we get the dryer vent cleaned out (something we have been meaning to do since we moved in 3 years ago). I made an appointment for Wed. morning, so we'll see if that helps."

It is the dryer vent. Your 6 month new dryer can't breathe! That is the same thing that caused the old dryer to crap out!

It was a fool's errand to replace the dryer and not even INSPECT the vent. Blocked vents, from lint buildup, are the leading cause of clothes dryer malfunction.

About 5% of house fires in the U.S. are caused by a clothes dryer, nearly all due to excess lint buildup.

Of all the common causes of house fire, I would argue that the dryer is the least obvious source, to most people. Most people do not clean out their dryer vents. This leads to over 12,000 house fires annually, in the U.S. alone.

If everyone remembered to clean out their dryer vent, one time per year, it would cut house fires by nearly 5%.

When a dryer starts taking too long to dry: If it can't keep up with the washing machine, it is a lint problem. It is not time for a new dryer!
Related Discussions
Smell from gas fireplace
Q
Comments (63)
This is an old thread and I wish I had seen it before we built our house in 2019. I tried to persuade our builder that I wanted a vented gas fireplace but he said they only did vent free. Long story short, we’ve never been able to use it because of the terrible, sickening smell (propane). We looked into having it changed to a vented fireplace and that was going to be prohibitively expensive. We ended up buying a Dimplex OptiMyst electric log insert so we could at least have some kind of operational fireplace. It is surprisingly realistic looking; the light looks like fire and the mist looks like smoke. Frankly, it looks more like a wood burning fireplace than our original vent free gas logs did.
...See More
Honda Harmony HRB 215 screech, engine struggles, smell burning brake
Q
Comments (1)
It is easy to remove the shroud and check the brake. It sounds like it could be seizing. If it was habitually run low on oil, sometimes to the upper boss in the block becomes badly worn and the flywheel wobbles.
...See More
Need help with burning smell in living room
Q
Comments (5)
Well, the fire department just came out this morning and said they didn't find anything. Bad thing is, they also couldn't smell the burning smell that I have been noticing. I do smell it more later at night though. I already had an electrician out last week, and he didn't find anything either. Checked with my neighbor downstairs and they haven't noticed any burning smell. I don't know what to do next.
...See More
New Whirlpool electric range burning plastic smell won't fade
Q
Comments (4)
I moved into a new home with a Whirlpool gas range and found the smell nauseating when running the oven, though not quite as bad as yours sounds. Eventually it went away, but it took a month or two, and I ran the vent hood while using the oven to help suck away the smell. Hope it gets better for you soon.
...See More
Caleyna
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you both for the information. I had no clue about dryer vent cleaning. I will become a dryer vent cleaning advocate from now on.

I hope the problem is resolved. It turns out the timer on the washing machine was out, so that has been fixed. The dryer vent cleaning guy said I had 0% airflow through the vent, so that has also been taken care of. Now, off to do ten million loads of pukey laundry from a sick baby. Here's hoping that between those two fixes, I don't burn the house down.
aidan_m
12 years ago
So glad you got that vent cleaned.

Cheers!
dreamgarden
12 years ago
And just in case that smell comes back (or another develops), here is a link that might be useful!

Building Odor Guide: How to Find, Test, & Remove Odors, Odor Detection and Methods to Remove Smells, & Gases in Buildings

inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/Odor-Diagnosis-Cure.htm
toxcrusadr
12 years ago
Way to go HD Forum! Think y'all just prevented a disaster. Congrats!

Related Stories

FEEL-GOOD HOME 9 Smells You Actually Want in Your Home

By Design With Science

Boost memory, enhance sleep, lower anxiety ... these scents do way more than just smell good

HOUSEKEEPING What's That Smell? What to Do About Stinky Furniture

Learn how to diagnose and treat pet and other furniture odors — and when to call in a pro

KITCHEN DESIGN Simple Pleasures: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

By Laura Gaskill

Slugging down any old sludge while pulling on socks is no way to start the day. Learn to brew amazing java and savor the experience here

LIVING ROOMS How to Convert Your Wood-Burning Fireplace

By Laura Gaskill

Learn about inserts and other options for switching your fireplace from wood to gas or electric

FIREPLACES Updated Woodstoves Keep Home Fires Burning

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

Better technology means more efficiency than ever for modern woodstoves

REMODELING GUIDES Clean-Burning Woodstoves Ignite a Greener Heating Trend

By Laura Gaskill

No need to rely on oil or gas to heat your home — new woodstove designs burn cleanly and are beautiful to boot

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: From Burned Down to Done Up in Las Vegas

By Mitchell Parker

A fire gutted this midcentury home — and laid the groundwork for a beautiful new floor plan

Design Ideas Inspired by Ken Burns' 'Prohibition'

By Becky Harris

The Roaring Twenties: Swank, swagger and streamlining dominated design

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK A Bright Kitchen Addition With a Wood-Burning Stove

This family gathering spot offers ample storage and spectacular views of Ireland’s Blessington Lakes

HEALTHY HOME Nontoxic Paint 101

If 'VOC' sounds like gobbledygook and you have no clue what causes that funny smell, check out this primer on ecofriendly paint types

Sponsored

More Discussions

Real quartz or faux?

7

Possible issue (workmanship) in new home build?

25

HELP! Kitchen cabinet cover bubbled up after Glue

1

Need serious advice please

3

Uneven walls and quartz countertops

9