I noticed some of the vintage equipment I bought off eBay seems to have an odor.

I am wondering if it might be PCBs in the capacitors (harmful)?

Or it might be dust that has gotten hot. I know when you first turn on an electric heater that has sat unused during the off season, it gives off an odor until the dust is burned off.

I am thinking the circuits might be giving off the same burnt dust smell, but I don't have a dusty electric heater to compare with right now.

I don't have any compressed air. But maybe I should get some and blow the dust out. The only thing is, I don't see any dust on the insides.

Any ideas?

Also, the units do not have to be powered up to give off the odor. They seem to do it while sitting there unplugged.

Bryan

I would think it's more likely dust or mold from sitting around for so long. Clean off the dust and let it air out in the sun and hopefully the smell will be gone.

We often find this in old radios that have been stored and got wet.

Norm

:Also, the units do not have to be powered up to give off the odor. They seem to do it while sitting there unplugged.
:
:

I don't know what the dielectric in a wax covered paper capacitor was .... except the paper ...
and I don't believe PCBs were even invented ....or used in capacitors back then.

Bryan,
Being a smoker, my sense of smell is not exactly acute, but I'm guessing its an accumulation of years of food odors, environmental contributors, cigar/cigarette smoke, cheap perfume, insect droppings, new furniture/carpet, dusty/musty storage, cat dander and the list goes on. I keep all my musty/dusty stuff in 1 room with a closed door, and thats the only escape I have from the odoriferous smokey environment in the other rooms.

marv

:I noticed some of the vintage equipment I bought off eBay seems to have an odor.
:
:I am wondering if it might be PCBs in the capacitors (harmful)?
:
:Or it might be dust that has gotten hot. I know when you first turn on an electric heater that has sat unused during the off season, it gives off an odor until the dust is burned off.
:
:I am thinking the circuits might be giving off the same burnt dust smell, but I don't have a dusty electric heater to compare with right now.
:
:I don't have any compressed air. But maybe I should get some and blow the dust out. The only thing is, I don't see any dust on the insides.
:
:Any ideas?

Hot tubes definitely make a smell, and the smell may linger. I have noticed a rather interesting smell from rubber wiring. I like the smell. Transformers are covered in tar and varnish. That leaves a lingering smell. The capacitors don't smell too much, though their oil smells, if it leaks off at all. The oil can also give off a smell when hot, while a radio is operating. These vapors can linger in surrounding materials. An interesting thing happened to me a long time ago when I tried to convert a wet electrolytic to an oil capacitor (what was I thinking???). The oil didn't spray out of the top of the capacitor's vent hole, but vapors must have escaped, because the chassis diagram that is pasted to the radio's wall became dark with oil vapor (it isn't soaking and glistening, but definitely has oil in it).

The wood and bakelite also can have a definite smell. They are all usually enjoyable smells, if not smelled excessively. I like them. The only ones I don't like are when some component fries, especially when it's the rotten eggs smell of a selenium rectifier. Thankfully I don't often fry selenium rectifiers (I think I've fried two or three), and I don't often fry other components, either.

Thomas

:Hot tubes definitely make a smell, and the smell may linger. I have noticed a rather interesting smell from rubber wiring. I like the smell. Transformers are covered in tar and varnish. That leaves a lingering smell. The capacitors don't smell too much, though their oil smells, if it leaks off at all. The oil can also give off a smell when hot, while a radio is operating. These vapors can linger in surrounding materials. An interesting thing happened to me a long time ago when I tried to convert a wet electrolytic to an oil capacitor (what was I thinking???). The oil didn't spray out of the top of the capacitor's vent hole, but vapors must have escaped, because the chassis diagram that is pasted to the radio's wall became dark with oil vapor (it isn't soaking and glistening, but definitely has oil in it).
:
:The wood and bakelite also can have a definite smell. They are all usually enjoyable smells, if not smelled excessively. I like them. The only ones I don't like are when some component fries, especially when it's the rotten eggs smell of a selenium rectifier. Thankfully I don't often fry selenium rectifiers (I think I've fried two or three), and I don't often fry other components, either.
:
:Thomas

I agree with Thomas-the smell of these vintage radios is one of the things I enjoy about them-it reinforces the authenticity of them. Like my first house, built in 1904, the smell was one of the things that made it real.

Ah. Yes. A properly maintained house does smell good. Then there's my 1927 appartment building. People smoke in it, and all the smoke comes up the lightshaft to my appartment. My landlord doesn't maintain it. The roof leaked for a while before I moved in, and now there's mold that grows quite readily in the walls, and under cabinets. I use bleech and an ozone generator a lot. The smell that comes up through the floor can otherwise give me a headache. Disgusting. I'd like to put my landlord in a sling. Next best thing, though--I called the city buildings inspector. Worked like a charm! I don't have an outlet in my shower anymore! Hopefully I won't have birds and squirrels in my ceiling soon, either.

T.

:Ah. Yes. I called the city buildings inspector. Worked like a charm! I don't have an outlet in my shower anymore!

Thomas:
What kind of outlet?.. do you mean you had an AC power outlet IN the shower area?

Originally it was just a bath, and there was an outlet about 5 feet above the far edge of the tub, near the sink. They added a shower, blocked off the window (no fan, no ventillation....could have installed a vinyl window, but they're cheap, and only do minimal). The outlet was still there. Code says that the outlet can stay unless someone modifies the bath (i.e. shower). The curtain would just barely cover the outlet, and the spray would kind of mist it anyway. I always worried that a path would occur to the curtain, though perhaps not. For years I've pumped out my parents' pool with a small submergable pump, and while scrubbing the pool, I've never gotten a shock where the pump plug meets the extension cord. ....Just a small tingle when disconnecting it. Guess there's always a first time.

I decided, after notifying my landlord about the birds and squirrels about four or five times over a 1 1/2 year period, that I was just going to tell the city everything. My landlord also chopped down every tree in the back yard to prevent squirrels from getting into the building. That ticked me off like nothing else. Shows the half-a'd job they do--instead of patching the tile roof, let's chop down some trees! Well, now the city has a list of things for them to do! YAY!

It's also sad to see the really heavy, thick front door, with the thick beveled glass, rotting away, because noone paints it. The door lasted 80 years, and could last another 80 if maintained properly.

T.

:It's also sad to see the really heavy, thick front door, with the thick beveled glass, rotting away, because noone paints it. The door lasted 80 years, and could last another 80 if maintained properly.
:
:T.

Perhaps you might offer to paint it for the landlord if he supplies the paint.
... this usually makes the landlord feel guilty and he gets it done.
Worst case you get a little painting exercise and the pride of knowing what a fine contribution you've made.

I stripped and polished and lacquered the 1927 intercom. I re-varnished all of the woodwork in my appartment. I re-painted all of my radiators, replaced the valve washers and polished all of the chrome. I re-positioned all of the doors on their hinges so that they'd close.

I suppose I could paint the entrance door. Maybe I'll replace the rotting wood, too.

T.

:I noticed some of the vintage equipment I bought off eBay seems to have an odor.
:
:I am wondering if it might be PCBs in the capacitors (harmful)?
:
:Or it might be dust that has gotten hot. I know when you first turn on an electric heater that has sat unused during the off season, it gives off an odor until the dust is burned off.
:
:I am thinking the circuits might be giving off the same burnt dust smell, but I don't have a dusty electric heater to compare with right now.
:
:I don't have any compressed air. But maybe I should get some and blow the dust out. The only thing is, I don't see any dust on the insides.
:
:Any ideas?

How old is the equipment and where was it stored? I have seen a few old radios that were stored in less-than-optimal locations and became temporary dwellings for rats and mice. Rodent urine has a very distinctive and unpleasant smell. You might try an odor control product on the non-metallic surfaces and let it air out in the sun for a few days. Also, sealing any wooden surfaces with laquer, varnish, etc might control odor..