Why is There a Burning Smell of Plastic in your Home?

by James Ballard | Dec 2, 2022 | Air Conditioners, Air Handlers, General HVAC, Home Maintenance

Why is There a Burning Smell of Plastic in your Home?

If you see a burning fire in your outlet, stop reading this, call 911 or the Fire Department, and, evacuate your home. This, of course, is a more serious issue. If you haven’t turned on your heat recently, number two can probably be eliminated.

6 reasons your AC smells like it’s burning and what to do next.

Assuming there’s no fire in your home. If your AC unit is in cooling mode, and you smell burning from your AC, shut it off immediately. Running your ac unit while something is wrong will create bigger, more expensive issues for you. You’ll need to call Atlantis AC your experienced AC repairman. In the meantime, here are some reasons your unit could be overheating. Overheating Motor In

Your AC Unit Smells Like It’s Burning & What to Do Next

Here are six potential reasons your air conditioning system is emitting a burning smell from your AC and what you can do about it. How Should Normal Furnaces Smell? During the year as your furnace, smells, like the burning smell of plastic, and what they mean …

#1. Dust Is Burning Off Did you just turn on your heater, furnace, or heat pump for the first time in a while, and now you notice a burning smell?  After months of little to no use (especially in Florida!), the inside of your HVAC system will collect dust. When you turn on your heating system, the dust burns off and releases a slight burning odor. The burning smell is coming from your ac unit.

Solution: Don’t worry. This smell is harmless and should go away within a few minutes. This furnace system is free from dust, hair, pet dander, and other airborne contaminants. This is the most common reason why air conditioning systems emit a burning odor. However, if you have a burning smell from the AC unit, sometimes the build-up of dust on your heating components means that when the heat is turned back on, the dust burns off. The smell should quickly dissipate. If it persists, you may have one of the other problems on this list. What to do to fix the problem: Get your HVAC system professionally checked and cleaned.

#2. The air filter is clogged

The Air Filter is Clogged This might be causing the problem if: You haven’t changed your air filters in more than two months. Air filters are put in place to catch the dirt and debris that come into your HVAC system and to prevent them from circling back smell coming from their AC Heater or furnace the first time they turn it on for the season, but what do you do when your heater smells like that all the time?

If you think your air filter is clogged, these contaminants can get sucked into the blower and cause it to overheat. This can also lead to dirt and dust reaching the heat exchanger and heating up. Both of these will cause a burning smell and can be mostly avoided by changing your filter regularly. If the air filtration system doesn’t work properly, the air filter is likely clogged. If the air filter is stuck down by excess debris, air circulation is restricted, causing excessive pressure and vibration in air conditioning equipment and motors. This can cause an unpleasant smell in some places.

While some furnace smells are completely normal, the burning smell of something plastic, electrical odors, or burning dust may signal deeper issues with your HVAC system. Find out what could be causing the smell of burning when you turn on your furnace by using this guide. Remember, here at Atlantis AC, our team of factory-trained-certified professionals is always here to help.

Solution: Check for clogging of filters before replacing them – if needed – with an updated one if possible. Make the filter changes once a year as necessary. This is an essential component of air conditioner service you can do yourself for the most efficient efficiency of your AC unit!

Dirty Ductwork Debris Burning As the weather changes, pine needles fall, the wind blows grass cuttings and other debris around, and dust and dirt settle on surfaces and in crevasses. Sometimes if you smell something burning in your vents, it capacitor.

#3 The capacitor is broken

All air conditioning systems use capacitors to power the motor. The capacitor fails to operate when overheated, giving off an overwhelming burning smell. Capacitors break in varying situations — overheating circuitry and electrical power surges and general wear.

All air conditioning systems use capacitors to power the motor. The capacitor fails to operate when overheated, giving off an overwhelming burning smell. Capacitors break in varying situations — overheating circuitry and electrical power surges and general wear.

Solution:: This will usually require the replacement of the capacitor. Please disable the air-conditioned unit and consult with an Atlantis AC technician about this. The capacitor is broken.

What does an overheating AC compressor smell like?

The compressor and AC motor may produce smoke or an overheated odor. Why does my AC smell like burning?

Overheating Motors On the inside of your AC system there are fans that move the air throughout your home. The bearings in the fan may fall apart and cause overheating of the motor driving it. It will make your throat burn.

Why Does My House Smell of Burning Plastic?

If your house smells like a burning plastic, take caution. The smell of burning plastic could be a sign of an overheated household appliance, a kitchen accident, or a problem with the HVAC system. Heaters and furnaces may smell burnt plastic when their parts are broken or worn out.

Parts that may need to be replaced include The capacitor Plastic-coated wires (that may have caused an electrical fault) The fan belt These issues should be addressed in a timely manner to prevent further problems.

#4 – The belt-driven motor is overheating

This might be causing the problem if The burning smell from the Athe C unit smells like burning rubber. Some AC units have belt drives that power their blowers, and over time, the rubber belt drives can become worn down or even begin to melt. If the burning smell from the Athe C unit smells rubbery, it’s likely time to replace your belt. What to do to fix the problem: Replace the rubber bands in your belt drive blower.

Certain HVAC systems feature an air-conditioner that can be driven using belts instead of direct drive. These products have rubber straps and may eventually wear out and produce burn-out smells.

Solution: It will require replacement in the future so if the burns smell rubbery it’s likely it’s time for a replacement.

#5 The motor is overheating

The same is true for capacitors – defective motors emit flammable smells and also burn out. With time the bearings on the motors wear out causing the engine to overheat.

Whenever you smell the burning smell, you must stop the air conditioner immediately. It will hopefully reduce power loss and help avoid replacement motors.

Why does my heater smell like something is burning?

Many older appliances overheat and make some parts corrode. The wiring of your home is another source of an odor, but it’s not always possible.

If your Air Conditioning system or heater or furnace smells like burning rubber or burning plastic?

Why does my house smell like burning plastic?

If you notice a burning plastic smell or odor that smells like burning plastic or burning rubber your furnace could have a more serious problem. It’s possible that a foreign object like a child’s dropped toy, or an unnoticed spill could be in your HVAC system‘s ductwork.

Turn off your furnace or AC unit and remove your AC registers or grilles so you can clean or remove any objects that don’t belong. Sometimes a burning plastic smell can be a sign of an electrical failure. Malfunctions in the heater can cause the plastic wire casings to fail and meltdown. The melting of the system is emitting a burning smell and what you can do about it. Professionals will be able to figure out what the issue is. Call Atlantis air conditioning professional in West Palm Beach, FL. If your air conditioning system is giving off a burning smell, don’t panic.

#6 – What to do if you encounter the smell of burning plastic?

The Electrical Components Are Broken This might be causing the problem if The burning smell from the AC unit is plastic or has a tinge of sulfur.

What does electrical burning smell like? The electrical fire was first very acrid with a smell. A short might be found in outlets or wiring within walls but can be hard to find. Burning smells or burning plastic smell odors in the air may be indicators of electrical failure.

How do I fix a burning smell in my Air Conditioner?

An overheating motor may produce smoldering noise on AC units because the bearing wears down over time. Most likely you need to lubricate your bearings.

Burning smell you may be encountering. Electrical Problems It’s also possible that there are other electrical problems in your unit causing other components to overheat. A trained professional will be able to figure out what the issue is. Call the air conditioning experts in West Palm Beach, Fl Atlantis Air Conditioning Technician. If your air conditioning system is giving off a burning smell, don’t panic. The professionals at Atlantis AC specialize in dissecting and determining what the issues are in your air conditioner and fixing them.

We are happy to come out to your home or business and inspect your AC unit, keep you cool and get your system back if the capacitor falters, or the motor can overheat and give off a burning smell. Capacitors break for lots of reasons, from overheated circuitry or power surges to general wear and tear. Solution: In these cases, you will almost always need to replace the capacitor. We recommend turning off your air conditioning system and calling a professional for this one. Does your AC unit have a Burning Smell Like Burning? Atlantis AC Can Help sort out the problem.

The professionals at Atlantis AC specialize in dissecting and determining what the issues are in your air conditioner and fixing them. We are happy to come out to your home or business and inspect your AC unit, keep you cool and get your system back up and running efficiently. To learn more, call Atlantis AC today at (561) 586-1233.