can't find the source of a burning smell

[Mike Johnson]

A few questions to narrow this down:
1. Is the burning smell constant or intermittent?
2. If intermittent Is it at a particular time of day?
3. What are you doing when the smell occurs?
4. Have you tried turning off individual circuits and see if the smell dissipates?
5. Are you windows open when the smell occurs?

Answering these question could help.

 

[yangersh]

A few questions to narrow this down:
1. Is the burning smell constant or intermittent?
2. If intermittent Is it at a particular time of day?
3. What are you doing when the smell occurs?
4. Have you tried turning off individual circuits and see if the smell dissipates?
5. Are you windows open when the smell occurs?

Answering these question could help.

Mike, thanks so much.
1 and 2. Oddly enough, its both constant and if I am not mistaken, it is worse in the evening, or close to the evening.
3. I am at home either working on my laptop (connected to the internet) or simply trying to rest (watching TV, music, etc.).
4. Yes. It seems to occur using 2 out of the 4 circuits, and when I am using particular outlets within those circuits.
5. The smell happens when the windows are either open and closed.

 

[Mike Johnson]

It sounds as though you have a loose connection on one of the sockets you use in the evening, I suggest you move your laptop to a different room/circuit for one evening and see it the smell persists, if it does not you have isolated the circuit fault and should be able to identify what particular socket/room the smell emanates from, why any electrician can't find this fault tends to indicate they are nor real electricians.

 

[littlespark]

Could it be the laptop power supply itself?

Check for heat coming from the outlet being used…. Black marks around the pins etc…

 

[jozefbehr]

Please check from the heating side...

 

[yangersh]

Do you have any fluorescent lights, if so it could be the ballast heating up and with my experience ballast will get so hot it will start burning and get so hot that you would have to wear gloves to replace it. Good luck

No. but, thanks.

 

[yangersh]

Could be from an air conditioning duct and travelling through from another apartment?

Or through voids in the floor from below/above/side apartment

Any chimneys or extraction tubes running up the side or outside of your apartment near a window/air brick?

Might be worth asking the neigbours if they smell anything from inside there apartments...

To be honest, the air conditioning duct theory sounds logical. the smell is intermittent throughout the day and gets really strong starting at about 5 pm, when folks are coming home (and on the weekends). Similarly, the voids in the floor theory sounds logical for the same reason. It looks like there is a chimney or extraction tube in the building but there is an apartment separating mine from it. I have no idea how to potentially stop it though. Would you? thanks.

 

[OnlQQker]

To be honest, the air conditioning duct theory sounds logical. the smell is intermittent throughout the day and gets really strong starting at about 5 pm, when folks are coming home (and on the weekends). Similarly, the voids in the floor theory sounds logical for the same reason. It looks like there is a chimney or extraction tube in the building but there is an apartment separating mine from it. I have no idea how to potentially stop it though. Would you? thanks.

Not knowing the layout of your flat then it's not easy.
If you have a loft/void above you then I would have a look up there, if you have vents in the floor or around skirting height then you'll need to keep and eye on them at times when the smell is at its strongest.
Is there a chip shop below you, or pizza parlor. You will need to turn detective.
Even soilsacks can cause smell if the air admittance valve has jammed up or a pigeon has nested in an open vent, these can be stronger smelling as well when more people start using the bathrooms/toilets etc