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Solvent smells in new gear

S

Sylvia Else

Jan 1, 1970
0
I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.

One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
the same room.

Has something significant changed in recent times?

Sylvia.
 
S

Sylvia Else

Jan 1, 1970
0
D said:
Had related incident last year.
http://groups.google.ca/group/sci.electronics.design/browse_thread/thread/ca2396825fca6f61

It's less stinky now.



D from BC
myrealaddress(at)comic(dot)com
BC, Canada
Posted to usenet sci.electronics.design

The irony is that this gear is a new UPS that I bought in the
expectation that I wouldn't be able to repair my old one, and didn't
want to go very long without a UPS (too many power glitches here). But
it's not being used, and is sitting in another room doing a burn in, for
who knows how long :(

Sylvia.
 
R

Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.

One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
the same room.

Has something significant changed in recent times?
Better packaging? ;-)

Cheers!
Rich
 
S

Spehro Pefhany

Jan 1, 1970
0
I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.

One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
the same room.

Has something significant changed in recent times?

Sylvia.

Your sinuses cleared up? ;-)

Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
result.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
 
T

TheM

Jan 1, 1970
0
Rich Grise said:
Better packaging? ;-)

Cheers!
Rich

I did notice that the cars in US smell weird/bad. I guess regulations must exist
that dictate some kind of plastic material that reeks, especially when new or
near-new as rentals often are.

Sometimes you buy a leather chair or a big sofa and it reeks for a week or two.

Probably not exactly healthy.

M
 
B

Ben Bradley

Jan 1, 1970
0
Your sinuses cleared up? ;-)

Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
result.

Could it be air pollution from all their coal-burning power plants?
I recall an NPR story from a year or two ago that said China was
building coal-fired power plants at the rate of one per week. I
suspect the rate has dropped since the toxic-mortgage crisis dominoed
into the rest of the world's economy, but remember the Olympics
(perhaps their biggest ever motivator to clean up their air if even
for a few weeks) - they got some bad air there.
 
B

Ben Bradley

Jan 1, 1970
0
The irony is that this gear is a new UPS that I bought in the
expectation that I wouldn't be able to repair my old one, and didn't
want to go very long without a UPS (too many power glitches here). But
it's not being used, and is sitting in another room doing a burn in, for
who knows how long :(

Open the case (presuming doing so doesn't void the warranty) and
place a window fan so it blows over it while it's "burning in." That
may speed up the destink process somewhat.
 
S

Spehro Pefhany

Jan 1, 1970
0
Could it be air pollution from all their coal-burning power plants?
No.

I recall an NPR story from a year or two ago that said China was
building coal-fired power plants at the rate of one per week.

It's a BIG country.
I
suspect the rate has dropped since the toxic-mortgage crisis dominoed
into the rest of the world's economy,

Maybe not, it's a good make-work stimulus thing.
but remember the Olympics
(perhaps their biggest ever motivator to clean up their air if even
for a few weeks) - they got some bad air there.

The air does not have a particularly strong odor in Chinese cities.
Shanghai in the spring can smell pretty pleasant. No worse than Los
Angeles in the early eighties.

Back when coal passenger trains were common you'd get rather dirty
during the long (eg. 45 hour) train trips with the windows open. And
when you blew your nose you'd see what was being filtered out. But no
particular smells, provided you were not too close to the ce4 suo3.
8-(


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
 
S

Spehro Pefhany

Jan 1, 1970
0
Some of the imported casters have an even stronger odor. I bought
some a year ago, and figured it would go away. They still smell so bad
I won't use them in my shop.

You can make ricin from those things..


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
 
M

Martin Brown

Jan 1, 1970
0
Most likely a new formulation of varnish and conformal coating. But they
tend to be low VOC these days and so should not really smell much at
all. Although there could be a low volatility component that comes off
when the thing gets hot the first time. It would help if you could
describe the smell.
I did notice that the cars in US smell weird/bad. I guess regulations must exist
that dictate some kind of plastic material that reeks, especially when new or
near-new as rentals often are.

That is probably the air freshener they use to sanitise them between
hires. The plasticisers have a characteristic "new car" smell that is
pretty similar the world over.
Sometimes you buy a leather chair or a big sofa and it reeks for a week or two.

Probably not exactly healthy.

Leather sofas from China you have to be very careful about. There has
been a pretty massive problem with contact dermatitus in the UK
involving use of DMF fungicide inside leather sofas from there.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...med-for-causing-skin-burns-and-allergies.html

Some people were severely affected by it.

Regards,
Martin Brown
 
J

Jasen Betts

Jan 1, 1970
0
Your sinuses cleared up? ;-)

Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
charcoal!).

charcoal has an odour?
Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
result.

possibly it's unscented talc?
 
R

Richard the Dreaded Libertarian

Jan 1, 1970
0
Back when coal passenger trains were common you'd get rather dirty
during the long (eg. 45 hour) train trips with the windows open. And
when you blew your nose you'd see what was being filtered out. But no
particular smells, provided you were not too close to the ce4 suo3.
8-(

Cigarettes can help forestall Black Lung, because they stimulate the
cough reflex, assisting the cilia in flushing out the REAL toxins; and the
sticky smoke particles capture and retain the bad stuff for safe disposal
by hocking up the tarry loogies. ;-P

Cheers!
Rich
 
R

Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
Most likely a new formulation of varnish and conformal coating. But they
tend to be low VOC these days and so should not really smell much at
all. Although there could be a low volatility component that comes off
when the thing gets hot the first time. It would help if you could
describe the smell.

Maybe the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) have been replaced by Volatile
INorganic Compounds? ;-P

Cheers!
Rich
 
R

Ross Herbert

Jan 1, 1970
0
:On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:06:24 +1000, Sylvia Else
:
:>D from BC wrote:
:>> On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:54:58 +1000, Sylvia Else
:>>
:>>> I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
:>>> bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
:>>> turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.
:>>>
:>>> One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
:>>> overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
:>>> the same room.
:>>>
:>>> Has something significant changed in recent times?
:>>>
:>>> Sylvia.
:>>
:>> Had related incident last year.
:>>
http://groups.google.ca/group/sci.electronics.design/browse_thread/thread/ca2396825fca6f61
:>>
:>> It's less stinky now.
:>>
:>>
:>>
:>> D from BC
:>> myrealaddress(at)comic(dot)com
:>> BC, Canada
:>> Posted to usenet sci.electronics.design
:>
:>The irony is that this gear is a new UPS that I bought in the
:>expectation that I wouldn't be able to repair my old one, and didn't
:>want to go very long without a UPS (too many power glitches here). But
:>it's not being used, and is sitting in another room doing a burn in, for
:>who knows how long :(
:
: Open the case (presuming doing so doesn't void the warranty) and
:place a window fan so it blows over it while it's "burning in." That
:may speed up the destink process somewhat.

Not a very good idea...
Most PC type PSU's have their own fan so there is little point using an external
fan and I have yet to see a new PSU without a "warranty void if opened" sticker.
 
S

Spehro Pefhany

Jan 1, 1970
0
I'd rather make carts for the shop out of them, but they still make
my eyes water.

It's only the oil on them that's dangerous.
 
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