*Help! - Burning Rubber Smell*

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 09:25 AM

I was alerted by a family member about a burning rubber smell coming from the fish room - I checked everything and nothing is hot and everything is running - and now the smell is getting worse.

The only way I can describe it - is like a burning rubber smell - The amount of power running to the room is not overloaded in my opinion.

I don't know what to do - I don't want an electrical fire!

stingythingy45 · 03/22/2011, 09:29 AM

Where's the heater?
Check the Vortechs good.

XSharkboyX · 03/22/2011, 09:32 AM

You need to figure out what it is or you are going to have an electrical fire. Turn the power off until you find it, check every plug and power bar. Pull every pump and heater out, and smell it up close.
If you have a stealth heater, start there. I had one do this 3 months ago.

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 09:39 AM

All heaters are in the sump and I recently mixed a new batch of salt in colder water, in a rubbermaid bucket - something I read on here that someone else had, but the whole room smells of it, so it is quite difficult to determine which item is the cause.

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 09:39 AM

The vortechs aren't hot and they smell okay - well... normal? I'll try switching out the pumps and see what happens....

mitsu_matt · 03/22/2011, 09:53 AM

Start pulling out each plug and visually inspect it and touch the prongs to see if they are hot. You could be melting the inside of the plug, chord, timer or three way.

Is it a rubber smell or a plastic smell? Would you know the difference? If you have an amp meter i would check your amperage, if your house is older you could be burning wire inside the wall. Dont take this lightly you may lose more than fish!!

RokleM · 03/22/2011, 10:08 AM

And if the devices aren't plugged into GFCI, they need to be ASAP. This should be done before you get anywhere near the water again.

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 11:14 AM

The room's main incoming power outlet is a GFCI and other equipment spread throughout the room is based off of that GFCI outlet. Most plugs are plugged into my reefkeeper digital aquatics programmer device. I unplugged all of the equipment - nothing was hot, nothing smelled of burning rubber.

I cleaned out my mag drive pump, just the regular "guck". No heaters smelled. Funny enough - the smell is stronger on one side of the room where my rubbermaid bin is.

This is the first time I have mixed my salt water with cold water - I didn't have the heater turned on in the rubbermaid bin. I turned on the heater and started mixing again and the smell is going away.... but I also have 3 heaters out of my main tank's sump.

I'm not sure if I could tell the difference between burning plastic/rubber as I haven't been around it enough, although I have a feel for what it would smell like.

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitsu_matt

Start pulling out each plug and visually inspect it and touch the prongs to see if they are hot. You could be melting the inside of the plug, chord, timer or three way.

Is it a rubber smell or a plastic smell? Would you know the difference? If you have an amp meter i would check your amperage, if your house is older you could be burning wire inside the wall. Dont take this lightly you may lose more than fish!!

The house is from the 1950s era. I don't have an amp meter. Are they expensive? Should I call an electrician to check that the wiring is okay?

john rochon · 03/22/2011, 11:40 AM

did you check your ballasts? capacitor possibly going?

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 12:02 PM

I have the T5 tek light kit where the ballast is.... inside the light housing? The light wasn't even on at the time - would that matter?

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitsu_matt

If you have an amp meter i would check your amperage, if your house is older you could be burning wire inside the wall. Dont take this lightly you may lose more than fish!!

I don't know how to do that. What do I look for with an amp meter? I know very little when it comes to electrical problems/diagnosing.

Do I need a GFCI tester unit too?

stingythingy45 · 03/22/2011, 01:01 PM

Generally a GFCI will have a reset/tester on it.
I don't think you are pulling too much amps as you would be popping breakers/fuses or the GFCI.I would however inspect the Box in the basement.Just to see if things appear to be ok there.Did you actually take the wet side off the dry on the Vortechs and inspect the spacers?I'm no expert on that,but that would be one of my checks.

mitsu_matt · 03/22/2011, 01:09 PM

Light ballast would be a good spot to check. You really need to try and pinpoint where the smell is coming from. Maybe your heater is or was melting your rubbermaid tub?

As far as checking amperage the best way is to get a amp meter and clip it to the black wire on the breaker (i am assuming you have breakers and not fuses). Amp meters have a loop looking thing on the top of the meter.

If your wiring is older (it might be only two wire, instead of the typical three wire) your gfic may not be wired correctly. Also it could be 15amp rated wire and someone may have put on a 20amp breaker or fuse on the line, if this is the case you could cause a melting or heating of the wires inside the wall.

There are so many things it could be, chances are if you are running a full complete fish-tank setup it would require more than 15amps (again this is only an assumption as who knows what all is running).

Ali :D · 03/22/2011, 01:12 PM

Check your lights! The switch on my current fixture just burnt up this weekend! Turn everything off. You will smell it from wherever it is without power through it.

blue736 · 03/22/2011, 01:19 PM

Ok, call your local Electrician. Check the yellow pages or whatever you have. If you found nothing obvious upon your inspection, then a professional opinion would be wise. It may be nothing, or something that needs to be fixed.

Wouldn't think it was the 'new' rubber smell from your mixing container. HTH

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 01:36 PM

I have an update - which could very well be the culprit! Hopefully...... I am thinking it is the dehumidifier.... that thing has been running for nearly 2 years and randomly vibrates as loud as a train.... we turned it on and a few seconds later I almost got knocked out from the rubber smell.... turned it off... and the smell has slowly gone away.

Could it come from the dehumidifier? A dying motor inside it - or some part? I've unplugged everything except the little maxijet pumps I have and nothing smells, nothing is corroding, nothing is jamming or obstructing anything and I don't think I am overpowering the unit.

I also tested my GFCI outlet by turning it off and then pressing the reset button - it came back on just fine.

Thoughts?

seapug · 03/22/2011, 01:49 PM

Dehumidifier wins!

stingythingy45 · 03/22/2011, 02:11 PM

Yup,the dehumidifier probably has a fan belt going and needs new spark plugs.

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 02:28 PM

I am 98% sure by now that the dehumidifier is the cause. So now our conversation turns towards the humidity issue.

I know that cooler air does not hold as much moisture as warmer air. Would buying a really strong oscillating fan help to keep the humidity down? I have a fish room with no windows and it is in the basement.

We can't run the AC because of the northern climate. Would blowing the humidity around the home (due to a fan) be bad for the furnace?

I am trying not to spend $400 on a new dehumidifier. I thought that maybe by blowing air around in the room and making it "cooler"... it would help humidity levels..

Virtuoso · 03/22/2011, 02:38 PM

We had a portable AC that emitted the same smell after running for years. Died not long after.

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virtuoso

We had a portable AC that emitted the same smell after running for years. Died not long after.

Thanks for the info

I guess a dehumidifier is better than a fan to cool the air then? I'm not sure how the humidity would be removed just by blowing air around the room and making it "cooler".

Agu · 03/22/2011, 02:54 PM

Glad you discovered the cause of the smell !!!!

A vent fan with a humidity sensor would be a viable alternative to a new dehumidifier.

david pinder · 03/22/2011, 02:57 PM

Since I ve had a fire that did about 60grand of damage when I built back I installed arc protectors on most of my circuts, little more piece of mind

chatyak · 03/22/2011, 05:32 PM

@david pinder - wow. That is awful. Sorry to hear about that.

I went out and bought an exhaust fan with some ductwork. I have never done this before so I don't know where to begin. I see the actual installation is pretty simple - just screw it into the beams in the basement ceiling.

My problem is with the electrical. I have never wired anything from a panel box and I don't want to electrocute myself.

The exhaust fan has the 3 wires of course - neutral, ground, hot (is it?).... could I buy some sort of 3 prong-plug and just connect the wires to the exhaust fan with those little twister caps? Would that be better than wiring it to the electrical panel?

03/22/2011, 09:25 AM	#1
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	*Help! - Burning Rubber Smell* I was alerted by a family member about a burning rubber smell coming from the fish room - I checked everything and nothing is hot and everything is running - and now the smell is getting worse. The only way I can describe it - is like a burning rubber smell - The amount of power running to the room is not overloaded in my opinion. I don't know what to do - I don't want an electrical fire! __________________ Fishville

03/22/2011, 09:29 AM	#2
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	Where's the heater? Check the Vortechs good. __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

03/22/2011, 09:32 AM	#3
XSharkboyX Wishin' I Was Fishin' Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 472	You need to figure out what it is or you are going to have an electrical fire. Turn the power off until you find it, check every plug and power bar. Pull every pump and heater out, and smell it up close. If you have a stealth heater, start there. I had one do this 3 months ago. __________________ "But why is the rum gone?" Captain Jack Sparrow

03/22/2011, 09:39 AM	#4
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	All heaters are in the sump and I recently mixed a new batch of salt in colder water, in a rubbermaid bucket - something I read on here that someone else had, but the whole room smells of it, so it is quite difficult to determine which item is the cause. __________________ Fishville

03/22/2011, 09:39 AM	#5
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	The vortechs aren't hot and they smell okay - well... normal? I'll try switching out the pumps and see what happens.... __________________ Fishville

03/22/2011, 09:53 AM	#6
mitsu_matt Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: South Lyon, MI Posts: 62	Start pulling out each plug and visually inspect it and touch the prongs to see if they are hot. You could be melting the inside of the plug, chord, timer or three way. Is it a rubber smell or a plastic smell? Would you know the difference? If you have an amp meter i would check your amperage, if your house is older you could be burning wire inside the wall. Dont take this lightly you may lose more than fish!! __________________ MaTT Current Tank Info: 225g, 300lbs LR, 80g sump/fuge, Skimz Monster PS250, MP40 x 2, 24"Reefbreeders Full Spectrum X 3, PanWorld PS250 main pump, PVC hot water tank heating system, Vertex100gpd ro/di, ReefKeeper Elite net, Bubble Magnus dosing pump (Ca,Alk, Mg)

03/22/2011, 10:08 AM	#7
RokleM Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,687	And if the devices aren't plugged into GFCI, they need to be ASAP. This should be done before you get anywhere near the water again. __________________ -Eric-

03/22/2011, 11:14 AM	#8
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	The room's main incoming power outlet is a GFCI and other equipment spread throughout the room is based off of that GFCI outlet. Most plugs are plugged into my reefkeeper digital aquatics programmer device. I unplugged all of the equipment - nothing was hot, nothing smelled of burning rubber. I cleaned out my mag drive pump, just the regular "guck". No heaters smelled. Funny enough - the smell is stronger on one side of the room where my rubbermaid bin is. This is the first time I have mixed my salt water with cold water - I didn't have the heater turned on in the rubbermaid bin. I turned on the heater and started mixing again and the smell is going away.... but I also have 3 heaters out of my main tank's sump. I'm not sure if I could tell the difference between burning plastic/rubber as I haven't been around it enough, although I have a feel for what it would smell like. __________________ Fishville

03/22/2011, 11:40 AM	#10
john rochon Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: canada Posts: 2,082	did you check your ballasts? capacitor possibly going?

03/22/2011, 12:02 PM	#11
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	I have the T5 tek light kit where the ballast is.... inside the light housing? The light wasn't even on at the time - would that matter? __________________ Fishville

03/22/2011, 01:01 PM	#13
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	Generally a GFCI will have a reset/tester on it. I don't think you are pulling too much amps as you would be popping breakers/fuses or the GFCI.I would however inspect the Box in the basement.Just to see if things appear to be ok there.Did you actually take the wet side off the dry on the Vortechs and inspect the spacers?I'm no expert on that,but that would be one of my checks. __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

03/22/2011, 01:09 PM	#14
mitsu_matt Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: South Lyon, MI Posts: 62	Light ballast would be a good spot to check. You really need to try and pinpoint where the smell is coming from. Maybe your heater is or was melting your rubbermaid tub? As far as checking amperage the best way is to get a amp meter and clip it to the black wire on the breaker (i am assuming you have breakers and not fuses). Amp meters have a loop looking thing on the top of the meter. If your wiring is older (it might be only two wire, instead of the typical three wire) your gfic may not be wired correctly. Also it could be 15amp rated wire and someone may have put on a 20amp breaker or fuse on the line, if this is the case you could cause a melting or heating of the wires inside the wall. There are so many things it could be, chances are if you are running a full complete fish-tank setup it would require more than 15amps (again this is only an assumption as who knows what all is running). __________________ MaTT Current Tank Info: 225g, 300lbs LR, 80g sump/fuge, Skimz Monster PS250, MP40 x 2, 24"Reefbreeders Full Spectrum X 3, PanWorld PS250 main pump, PVC hot water tank heating system, Vertex100gpd ro/di, ReefKeeper Elite net, Bubble Magnus dosing pump (Ca,Alk, Mg)

03/22/2011, 01:12 PM	#15
Ali :D Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Ellenton, FL Posts: 757	Check your lights! The switch on my current fixture just burnt up this weekend! Turn everything off. You will smell it from wherever it is without power through it. __________________ 40 Breeder, 2x AI Nano w/controller, 2x NextReef Reactors, Reef Octopus 250 Skimmer, Custom sump. If somethings too hard to do it's not worth doing! On a scale of 1 to Insane, I'm a chocolate dolphin.

03/22/2011, 01:19 PM	#16
blue736 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 106	Ok, call your local Electrician. Check the yellow pages or whatever you have. If you found nothing obvious upon your inspection, then a professional opinion would be wise. It may be nothing, or something that needs to be fixed. Wouldn't think it was the 'new' rubber smell from your mixing container. HTH

03/22/2011, 01:36 PM	#17
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	I have an update - which could very well be the culprit! Hopefully...... I am thinking it is the dehumidifier.... that thing has been running for nearly 2 years and randomly vibrates as loud as a train.... we turned it on and a few seconds later I almost got knocked out from the rubber smell.... turned it off... and the smell has slowly gone away. Could it come from the dehumidifier? A dying motor inside it - or some part? I've unplugged everything except the little maxijet pumps I have and nothing smells, nothing is corroding, nothing is jamming or obstructing anything and I don't think I am overpowering the unit. I also tested my GFCI outlet by turning it off and then pressing the reset button - it came back on just fine. Thoughts? __________________ Fishville

03/22/2011, 01:49 PM	#18
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Dehumidifier wins! __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

03/22/2011, 02:11 PM	#19
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	Yup,the dehumidifier probably has a fan belt going and needs new spark plugs. __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

03/22/2011, 02:28 PM	#20
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	I am 98% sure by now that the dehumidifier is the cause. So now our conversation turns towards the humidity issue. I know that cooler air does not hold as much moisture as warmer air. Would buying a really strong oscillating fan help to keep the humidity down? I have a fish room with no windows and it is in the basement. We can't run the AC because of the northern climate. Would blowing the humidity around the home (due to a fan) be bad for the furnace? I am trying not to spend $400 on a new dehumidifier. I thought that maybe by blowing air around in the room and making it "cooler"... it would help humidity levels.. __________________ Fishville

03/22/2011, 02:38 PM	#21
Virtuoso Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 727	We had a portable AC that emitted the same smell after running for years. Died not long after.

03/22/2011, 02:54 PM	#23
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	Glad you discovered the cause of the smell !!!! A vent fan with a humidity sensor would be a viable alternative to a new dehumidifier. __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

03/22/2011, 02:57 PM	#24
david pinder Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: houston tx 77316 Posts: 538	Since I ve had a fire that did about 60grand of damage when I built back I installed arc protectors on most of my circuts, little more piece of mind

03/22/2011, 05:32 PM	#25
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	@david pinder - wow. That is awful. Sorry to hear about that. I went out and bought an exhaust fan with some ductwork. I have never done this before so I don't know where to begin. I see the actual installation is pretty simple - just screw it into the beams in the basement ceiling. My problem is with the electrical. I have never wired anything from a panel box and I don't want to electrocute myself. The exhaust fan has the 3 wires of course - neutral, ground, hot (is it?).... could I buy some sort of 3 prong-plug and just connect the wires to the exhaust fan with those little twister caps? Would that be better than wiring it to the electrical panel? __________________ Fishville

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