Is There A Burnt Rubber Smell In The House (Find Out Why)

When you work on improving your home, the last thing you want to encounter are issues with the upgrades. But, one problem that you’ll likely face is a burnt rubber smell in the house. This can sometimes occur after installing new paint, fixtures, flooring, carpet, and other improvements.

If there’s a burnt rubber smell in the house, it might be an overworked appliance or heater or malfunctioning HVAC system. Worst case scenario, you may have something burning, like insulation or wiring, or an electrical fire. You can use DIY remedies like vinegar to neutralize the odor, but you might also need to hire a professional.

Very often, an unpleasant smell that appears to be burnt rubber isn’t caused by burning rubber at all. However, whether it’s actually burning rubber or something else, it’s best to address the problem and solve it whenever possible.

A ”burning rubber” smell is often caused by burning or overheating insulation on wiring in the home. Wiring in heating units is particularly prone to this issue and might be a warning of a potential fire. Calling in a professional heating expert or electrician is often a good move in this case.

Of course, even though a lot of things smell like burnt rubber, the cause could also be burning rubber. Rubber, a naturally occurring flexible product used in everything from car tires to window trim, is not meant to burn. When rubber burns, it is acrid and sharp and not easily masked by air freshener.

Your appliances, such as washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, and dishwashers, may also be the source of the problem. If you’ve recently installed or performed maintenance on any of these appliances, they should be your first stop. Visually inspect them and see if you can identify the cause; if not, call in a professional.

Your nose is actually a pretty effective “source-detector” — walk around your house and see “where your nose goes.” If it leads you to an appliance, of course, make sure it is powered down. If the smell is coming from a wall outlet, turn off the circuit breaker and call a professional.

Another potential cause of a burning rubber smell in your home might simply be the heater, especially after disuse. When you first turn the heater on after an extended period, the dust on the element can smell like burning. In that case, the smell will dissipate fairly quickly and is not a cause of alarm.

If the smell persists after you have turned on the heater, check for excessive dust build-up. Simply cleaning the inside of the heater and changing the heater filter will often solve the problem.

An underused heater’s dust burning off may also smell like burning hair. If this is the case, let the heater run a few hours to see if the smell goes away. If it doesn’t, this is something you’ll want to bring up to your HVAC technician.

When you smell something out of the ordinary in your home, the first thing to check for is smoke and fire. Fire and excessive heat generate a flow of acrid air in your home, which can be a serious problem. Aim your fire extinguisher at the source of the smoke and fire and call the fire department.

It’s essential in all homes, and especially newly renovated ones, to have a fire extinguisher. You’ll need it displayed in a prominent place and easily accessible. Get regular checkups to make sure it’s in good working order at all times.

Sometimes, you can trace a burnt rubber smell to a space heater. If the smell dissipates upon turning off the heater, you will know it’s time for a new one. Space heaters near the end of their lives can not only cause smells but also pose a danger.

A burning rubber smell may also be the sign of something caught in your space heater’s heating element. Often clothing, paper, or even wayward toys can fall behind the heater and touch the heating element. A visual inspection of the space heater should tell you if there’s something foreign inside.

Air conditioners are another potential source of a burning rubber smell in your home. This is because air conditioners generate a fair amount of heat in the process of cooling your home. Air conditioners always produce heat in their operation, and sometimes the smell of burning rubber.

Refrigerators also have heating coils as part of their construction, and therefore can also cause a burnt rubber smell. Air conditioners and refrigerators both use the same basic cooling principle. The heat from both of these appliances can cause a burning rubber smell after a period of disuse.

Your HVAC system, in any home, is an extensive network of ducting, equipment, and wiring. Wiring, the heating unit, capacitor, the air conditioner, or a dust-filled filter can all be causes of an acrid smell. If these items are brand-new or quite old, they may emit a burning smell if damaged, dust-coated, or worn-out.

When a refrigerator wiring is old, dusty, or damaged, it can cause a smokey or burnt-rubber smell. Dishwashers can also emit a burnt-rubber smell if something gets into the heating unit. Make sure to regularly check for plastic, rubber, or wooden lids or utensils that may have fallen astray.

If the burnt rubber smell occurs soon after you have turned on the dishwasher, open the door. Allow the steam out and the items inside the dishwasher to cool down. You can then safely check for burnt utensils and other misplaced items.

Stoves and ovens can also be the cause of a burning rubber smell in your newly-renovated home. When installed, these appliances often arrive with a protective coating which can cause a burnt rubber smell. In this case, the cause is not of great concern, it’s perfectly natural, and the smell will soon dissipate.

If the stove or oven are not new but still smell like burning rubber, it may be due to burning grease or food. If this is true, you should only smell this when these appliances are turned on (or have recently been turned off.) Turn them off, wait for them to cool, then inspect the heater element to make sure it’s free of debris.

Sometimes bad smells are caused by man-made materials. Other times the smell is “natural.”

Organic matter in and around your home can also cause a burning rubber smell in many ways. This can be part of the natural organic process, as in the case of mulch decomposing or other organic matter.

If the burning-rubber smell occurs in rural areas, the culprit might be alive and not just organic. A skunk in your neighborhood can generate a huge area of burnt-rubber smell if it has been attacked or frightened.

All of these sources and causes can be toxic. Smoke, and burnt rubber smells, can contain a variety of toxic chemicals. These include formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide hydrochloric acid, and sulfur dioxide, among others.

Over time, exposure to these chemicals can cause and worsen a whole host of health problems. These include asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular issues. So don’t ignore the warning smell of burning rubber in your newly renovated home, ever.

Even if you don’t smell burning rubber in your home but are experiencing symptoms, you may want to look for these causes. Dizziness, coughing, headaches or nausea, can easily be caused by any of the reasons cited in this article. It helps to mention that proper ventilation is essential for your health in any space, whether recently upgraded or not.

White vinegar is an easy DIY solution that you can use to clean appliances that may smell like burnt rubber. You can also fill a bowl with vinegar and place it in an area where the burning smell is strongest. Boiling lemon peels and lemon juice can also be extremely effective.

In addition, baking soda has a famous odor-absorbing ability. Simply open a box and place it in the fridge or on the counter near the source of the smell.

Bottom line, the smell of burning rubber or similar smells is not just annoying; it’s potentially dangerous. Pay attention to that smell, find the source, solve it if you can, or call a professional. Your newly renovated home should be a source of joy for you, not frustration, and it should smell great.

Related Questions

Why does my house smell like burning plastic?

Like with burnt rubber, a burning plastic smell can be the result of various items in the home malfunctioning.  Start by checking the ones that use heat, like your heater, furnace, HVAC, and appliances, for dirt and fallen food.  If these are all clear, you may want to consider external elements like a fire or manufacturing plant operating nearby.

Could burnt rubber be mistaken for any other smells?

There are plenty of other bad smells, including rotten eggs, the sign of a gas or sulfur leak.  You could also smell bad or burning plastic, which could be a fire or smoldering wires.  Regardless of the particular scent, if it’s bad — there’s a problem, and you must find it.

Could smelling burnt rubber be a sign of illness?

Sometimes you might have Parosmia, which is an underlying health condition that may distort your sense of smell.  You could have zero sense of smell because of allergies or even a cold if you’re dealing with a stuffy nose.  Conversely, you could smell phantom scents that aren’t there, called Phantosmia.The best thing to confirm Parosmia or Phantosmia is to ask a few friends if they smell anything.  If a variety of people cannot agree there’s a smell, you may consider consulting a physician.