Why do people makes things that smell of burning electrics?

[paulca]

I keep sitting bolt upright and sniffing like a mercat only to remember the cutting mat I've just got sitting on the desk below my nose smells like burning wire insulation.

Similarly the DuPont wire set I bought smells of burning electronics and routinely tricks me into worrying unnecessarily.

It's really annoying.  It should be banned.  Things leaving a factory need to be passed under an EE's nose for the "smells like burning electrics test".

[Psi]

The smell of burnt toast or rubber can be an early sign of a brain tumor or stroke, but only if you're the only one who can smell it.

[paulca]

The smell of burnt toast or rubber can be an early sign of a brain tumor or stroke, but only if you're the only one who can smell it.

Thanks.  A cheerful thought for my Sunday morning. 

I don't think it's that uncommon for plastic molding process, release agents etc. to leave a smell of burning plastic.  The Dupont leads smelling of burning electronics is just irritating though.  They have that acrid burning PVC with a hint of ozone smell.

[tszaboo]

Bunch of rubber/plastic stuff from china has this issue. I had USB cables that reeked for weeks. I just placed them outside. And a laser IR thermometer, that gave me rash where I touched it, until I cleaned it with a lot of water and alcohol.

[amyk]

I don't think it's that uncommon for plastic molding process, release agents etc. to leave a smell of burning plastic.  The Dupont leads smelling of burning electronics is just irritating though.  They have that acrid burning PVC with a hint of ozone smell.

It shouldn't --- good clean freshly molded plastic smells "solventy" or slightly paraffin-like. Burnt smell either means the machines are set to the wrong temperature or accumulated burnt gunk from lack of cleaning. Not surprising in cheap stuff, however.

[Alex Eisenhut]

Is there an open bottle of Laphroaig 10 around? Drink it, it will solve the problem.

[nanofrog]

Is there an open bottle of Laphroaig 10 around? Drink it, it will solve the problem.

What, no love for Balvenie?   

[Zero999]

The manufacturers don't do this deliberately. Burning plastic produces a variety of volatile organic compounds, some of which are also used in the manufacture of plastics, rubbers and adhesives, so it's not surprising some new products smell burnt.

[Calambres]

Better try Lagavulin: success guaranteed.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Better try Lagavulin: success guaranteed.

Caol Ila respectively Port Askaig (18yrs cask strength).
Or Ardbegh's Uigedail or Corryvreckan.

[paulca]

A boss gave me a present for going above and beyond the call which he had received from a client.

I don't remember the distillery name, but it was a numbered bottle, something like #1800 from a since closed Scottish distillery.  82.5% by volume, single malt.  I looked it up on ebay and it was selling for around £180 a bottle.

I drank it after verifying it would light and burn easily.  Took me a while and it was potent.