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Something smells

WeatherWeasel

WeatherWeasel

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 28, 2019
355
145
Des Moines, Iowa
The mystery thickens since the modem upgrade from DSL to Fiber. I don't think it is related.

I have an imac 2017 late model, works fine. However, I am smelling an acrid smell . The wife claims it is just me, but then she can't smell very well. It smells like when plastic is melting,like when she left a spatula in the oven, but not that severe.

So I went looking. I removed everything not needed to be turned on. That was the Linksys switch, gone. No direct connections to the modem, we are all wifi and it is fast.

I turned off the printers, the extra computer. Unplugged the time machine backup. Shut down the iMac at night. went around and removed wall warts and even cleaned under my computer desk.

This morning, not so bad. So I turned on things and here we are again. I have a fan blowing on the back of the iMac just incase, but it never gets hot, I wonder if it is the UPS. I have a Cyberpower 1500PFCLCD for some time, it doesn't feel hot but it could be degrading.

I have tried to actually sniff out the problem, but it alludes me.

Anyone have had such a problem?
 
WeatherWeasel said:
The mystery thickens since the modem upgrade from DSL to Fiber. I don't think it is related.

I have an imac 2017 late model, works fine. However, I am smelling an acrid smell . The wife claims it is just me, but then she can't smell very well. It smells like when plastic is melting,like when she left a spatula in the oven, but not that severe.

So I went looking. I removed everything not needed to be turned on. That was the Linksys switch, gone. No direct connections to the modem, we are all wifi and it is fast.

I turned off the printers, the extra computer. Unplugged the time machine backup. Shut down the iMac at night. went around and removed wall warts and even cleaned under my computer desk.

This morning, not so bad. So I turned on things and here we are again. I have a fan blowing on the back of the iMac just incase, but it never gets hot, I wonder if it is the UPS. I have a Cyberpower 1500PFCLCD for some time, it doesn't feel hot but it could be degrading.

I have tried to actually sniff out the problem, but it alludes me.

Anyone have had such a problem?
Click to expand...

The reason can be a lot of things: cooling not functioning properly, battery failing etc. I am afraid you need to troubleshoot methodically.

Maybe this link will help?
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/troubleshoot-laptop-burning-smell-80999.html

If you can't find anything and you have an Apple store nearby, maybe take it to a genius bar?

EDIT:
I misread the OP. I thought it was about a laptop, but it was about an iMac. So clearly my battery suggestion is out of the question ;)
 
Last edited:
AndyMacAndMic said:
The reason can be a lot of things: cooling not functioning properly, battery failing etc. I am afraid you need to troubleshoot methodically.

Maybe this link will help?
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/troubleshoot-laptop-burning-smell-80999.html

If you can't find anything and you have an Apple store nearby, maybe take it to a genius bar?
Click to expand...
I have a small fan blowing at the back of the imac. but the smell isn't coming from there. I did shut it down , let it cool and blew out the air vents. Let it sit awhile and back on. I almost think it might be the UPS. it doesn't feel warm, and I have had it for years now.

My wife came in and gave me a COVID test, and I am not with virus. Then she said spot with the Flonase for your allergies. fine.

The Imac has no battery in it.

I guess the next thing is to shut down the back up and the security camera DVR and see if that makes a dent.

I wonder if it could be my external drive, I have had it since 2019. A LeCie.
 
Your iMac does, in fact, have a battery -- but it is a button-type battery, not a rechargeable one. It is mounted on your logic board, and not accessible on a 21-inch iMac without removing the logic board, and not likely to contribute anything to any unusual smells.

You could monitor the temps on your iMac. Several third-party utilities will do that: TG Pro; iStat Menus; there are others. Some are free. Some, like TG Pro, are not free. Most will also show your fan speed, which might show you that you have a fan that is not coming up to speed (or no speed - a dead fan - although your 21-inch iMac only has one fan, so things would go bad in a hurry, and strange smells would be the least of your concern then)

Question: Who installed your modem upgrade? If that was installed by your ISP, and not by YOU, and that's when you first noticed the smell - can you call your ISP, and ask about that smell? They may know what it might be, or might come out to check. Sometimes it is a Good Thing™ to have a second set of eyes (and a different nose) to check out your equipment.
 
I do appreciate the help. I have it narrowed down to either my Brother MFC 7860 CDW or the La Cei backup drive. or the UPS. I am leaning toward the drive. it is a USB-C connection, I have had it since 2019 and is the Time Machine drive. it could be a slow leak from that.

The Modem was installed by CenturyLink and is located in another room. The Installer refused to drill through the brick, and went for the wall. The speeds are wonderful. 558 down 420 up wireless and 960 both when connected with ethernet. I am not doing the latter until I figure out the smell. Originally I thought it was the cable degassing . Anyway, Where is sherlock holmes when I need him
 
Is that your new Brother laser printer?
That will certainly make some strange smells, as a new device, particularly if you print a lot.
Probably just the new printer, with the parts that heat up (and they do get really hot), just some degassing going on there.
Did you notice the smell before the installation by CenturyLink?
My thought was to have a different "nose" to try to track the smell. You may be simply missing (because of familiarity with your home environment) something that a different person might discover.
 
It smells like my father's office.
Pretty sure it is from the iMac now. I ran a test on temperatures Not sure if this is OK , but this is what it shows
grab0.jpg
grab1.jpg

My dad was a doctor and for some reason the office smelled a bit like that. Maybe it will dissipate????
 
This smell is something new. We went out of town for a couple of weeks. I shut down the computer and printer, left the UPS on as it has the weather station hooked into it. My DSL modem stopped working most of the time before, and I went with having the faster Fiber modem installed. When I got back I toggled between ethernet and wifi depending on how great the old modem was working. On the day of the install, I turned the computer off and unplugged it from the DSL modem. They did the install, putting the new install in the family room rather than in my room. They said they didn't feel like drilling through brick, so they opted for the wood instead. The wife wasn't amused, but her ipad works great now.

The only problem with the install is that the landline is not working but the fax line is now the land line. Tuesday they fix it. Seems the copper line is now connected to the fiber line. Oh poops. Good side no one has called me about the car warranty on what I don't own anymore.

So, I turned back on the computer and started the process of using the new modem and password to set up everything that needs to work with the modem, iphone,, ipad, her laptop, my printers and thermostat. So I find out that the printers do not show up on the printer list anymore because the fiber modem doesn't let that happen or some nonsense like that. i have a powered switch so I ran the modem to the switch and my computer to the modem and it would workk for me but not the wife. So... I ordered a new printer with airprint and it comes also next week. I disconnected the ethernet and the switch. Oh and the Honeywell T6 won't pair with the network. I recall I had to do a lot of stuff to get it to work when I had the DSL modem. I guess until I get motivated to do that manually, I will get a lot of exercise.


Later the next day, I noticed this smell . The computer is connected to Cyberpower backup. nothing else. The printers are wireless or at least was. One I did get a usb connection to the All in One laser and we are good. The smell stings my eyes over time. I have turned things off and back on trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. Not the printers, not the UPS. Not the LaCei backup drive for Time Machine. The computer. I shut it down and let it cool, no smell. I got a fresh can on compressed air, blew out the vents on the bottom of the imac,and the back vent as well, didn't see any dust there. Also did the printer vents, as well.

The back of the iMac is warm but that is normal. Maybe while I was out of town, the house had the air conditioner off but the temperature was no more than 78. (I have a weather station that works via wifi and is off the UPS). perhaps some mold or something started up in the imac? I could just leave it on (I do let it sleep) and see what happens, I do have Backblaze and the icloud for off site backups and the external drive incase things go real bad.

Ideally a new iMac would be great and solve the problem, but right now it is out of my price range. I could pay it off but right now paying for gasoline on our road trip to Vermont.

I have no other suggestion. Oh I did put an air purifier by the computer desk, I don't think it is helping. I have them all over the house -- allergies and the dog.

This is a mystery. OR I could be picky. Or I should take it over to iTech Gurus and have them open the case to see what they can do.

grab2.jpg
 
My father was an electrical engineer, with his own lab in the basement. I got very atuned to different electrical smells. I always track down any new smells. Worst smell was when he blew an old selenium rectifier, smelled like rotten eggs. Could be new circuit board in a device, could be a resister overheating but still working. Maybe try putting different devices in different rooms and see if smell follows. Keep us posted.
 
Allyance said:
My father was an electrical engineer, with his own lab in the basement. I got very atuned to different electrical smells. I always track down any new smells. Worst smell was when he blew an old selenium rectifier, smelled like rotten eggs. Could be new circuit board in a device, could be a resister overheating but still working. Maybe try putting different devices in different rooms and see if smell follows. Keep us posted.
Click to expand...
or I can pay 141 a month and get a new unit in August. Heck, I am turning 75 in August. I maybe I will treat myself to a new machine, providing this one continues to be of this world. Fortunately it doesn't smell like rotten eggs. When I had my PC, it was easy, open the case an have a look, but with the iMac, not happening. 5 years it has worked fine.
 
I am 77 and got the new iMac, you will love it. My old one was a 2012 iMac that couldn't be upgraded any more. (still sitting in my bedroom, don't know what to do with it.)
I know what you are saying about PC's, I had my own PC Sales and Network Installation for 25 years, sold 1000's of PCs and setup and delivered everyone. Servers too. I has enough of Windows, wanted to learn something new. I was amazed you couldn't easily remove the battery in a Mac laptop. Cold booting a PC notebook by pulling the battery of a minute solved a lot of problems.
 
Here we are still. Noticing the temperatures are fine, but things take forever to start up, the spinning ball of doom. I think a new machine might be in the future. We have an apple store. I really am not a fan of having to move everything to a new machine, I did see the migration tool. I have apps and files that would have to be on the new machine, and to get them working again.

I suspect the migration tool would do that for me, right? I have bank stuff, saved emails, etc, and the thought of doing that , yuck.

I also am rationalizing Iuse the machine for email, banking , music, pictures, and scanning documents. I don't need a whomping big unit with all the bells and whistles at this stage of my game.

I probably will head over to the Apple store, get what they have in stock, bring it home, transfer everything from the old to the new, and trade in the old after getting it ready.

I don't know what the smell is, maybe some adhesive burning off, this 5 year old computer, or dust or who knows. Probably going to let it stay on 24/7 and see what happens. Maybe it will get better or not. The readings on temperature are in a previous post, ARGhhhhhhhhh
 
Ok, we can put a cork in this bottle. I ordered a new iMac. the local store will deliver it here today. I had to go with the green color, I will get used to it. I got the one with the 4 ports. 8G of Ram? but they claim it will work with the M1 chip. If I had any brains 5 years ago I would have got a PC. putting in RAM is easy . So we are done I guess. I will trade in the old computer and go from there. Hope the migration tool works like a charm.

I appreciate all the help. Odd that all this happened about the same time.
 
New computer up and running. Internet has been up and down because of the rain. I notice no ethernet connection for a cable, so I am going to research that one. I have 2 uSB and 2 thunder things. I wish I could disable the startup password and some other things . BUt that will give me something to do besides the rest. Going to let the computer run all night incase of updates. :) Should be interesting only 8 G RAM instead of 32 and the M1 chip. trying to find the vent ports .
 
If you want Ethernet on your new iMac, you’ll need to buy the power supply with Ethernet port installed. It’s a $29 up charge when ordering an iMac, but I don’t know how much they cost standalone.
 
"New computer up and running. Internet has been up and down because of the rain. I notice no ethernet connection for a cable, so I am going to research that one."

You bought the 2-port (on the back) version, didn't you?
You should have bought the 4-port version, which comes with ethernet on the power brick!

There's still time to send it back and exchange it.
Think about doing this.
Worth it for the 2 extra ports and ethernet connection...
 
Fishrrman said:
"New computer up and running. Internet has been up and down because of the rain. I notice no ethernet connection for a cable, so I am going to research that one."

You bought the 2-port (on the back) version, didn't you?
You should have bought the 4-port version, which comes with ethernet on the power brick!

There's still time to send it back and exchange it.
Think about doing this.
Worth it for the 2 extra ports and ethernet connection...
Click to expand...
I bought the 4 port and the ethernet on the brick. Sadly, I am spending additional money for the USB3 to USB connection. This has been an expensive week. First this computer, a new airprint Brother color laser, and probably I will have to replace the MFC that doesn't have airprint, hoping that the adapter will take care of it, but if it doesn't yet another printer. I have a headache. Must go to recycling for all the old stuff. I wonder if they will recycle me?

I wish the keyboard with the numeric pad came with the finger touch option. Maybe it will. This one is way too small for my patties, but I like that option. Maybe Apple will come around.

I do now what I should have done is to opt for the bigger hard drive I have about 75 gigs left and really should see what I can get rid of that I don't use.
 
It is good to have a local Apple store for service, browsing and deliveries. However they do not usually stock computers configured the way most people on this forum would want them. They usually stock the bare bones entry level products.

For the 24 inch iMac (a great machine) I would recommend 16 GB of RAM, at least 512 GB of storage and the Ethernet connection. You will need to order this online at Apple. Fortunately you are still within the return period for your new computer. I suggest returning it and ordering a Built to Order iMac. That way you will have the desired specs and the color of your choice. You can have it shipped to the Apple store if you want.

It sounds like your old computer, although very slow, is still working so that it could hold on for another few weeks?
 
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