Smoky, smelly workshop

[Keith Westfall]

Walked into my shop this morning, and was greeted by a blue smoky haze that smelled a bit electrical and/or plastic.

Immediately started checking EVERYTHING! All power tools, garbage cans, dust collectors and everything else I could think of.

Didn't find anything... at first.

Decided it wasn't getting any worse, so while "patrolling" the shop waiting to see if anything else would show up, I needed some air for my brad-nailer, and when I picked up the air hose, it was empty. Odd. Went to check the compressor and it was off, though plugged in and switched on.

Got to checking closer and pulled it down from the shelf it sits on, and it was toast. (It's a small cheap one, and I have it up on a shelf in the corner), Then I could smell it pretty well and I noticed the circuit breaker/overheat button was popped out. Pushed it out and tried it once - not good. Unpluggged it and headed out to get another.

Their not good ones, (i.e. - Canadian Tire/ Harbor Freight type) cause I don't needs lots of air, just small things in the shop.

But a terrible feeling when you walk into the shop and are greeted by that.

Glad it finally ended well, and that I located the source.

Glad for the protection device that shut it down too...

[Bruce Page]

Did you have a line failure that caused the compressor to run continuesly? Glad it wasn't worse.

[Frederick Skelly]

Glad you found the cause and that it wasn't serious!
Fred

[Larry Frank]

I think you need a smoke detector or a heat detector in your shop. It could prevent l losing a shop or house due to an electrical fire.

[Charles Lent]

An air compressor power switch mounted right next to the light switch would be good too. That way it will get turned off when you leave the shop and turned back on as soon as you return.

Charley

[Lee Schierer]

I think you need a smoke detector or a heat detector in your shop. It could prevent l losing a shop or house due to an electrical fire.

First Alert makes battery operated wireless smoke detectors that if one goes off, all of them will go off. I have one in my attached shop that will set off the detectors in the house. You might want to think about installing them.

[Andrew Hughes]

That's a great tip about the First Alert.I will get one too much to lose.

[Tom Deutsch]

Glad you didn't have a fire, Keith. Sounds like it was close, though. Aren't those overload protectors supposed to pop before the motor fries/smokes/gets all dramatic?

[Bill Adamsen]

I have the compressor on its own circuit with a disconnect. Its a relatively big unit as I use air for many things in the shop. I always try to disable the circuit (either breaker or disconnect) when leaving, but occasionally forget. It freaks me out a bit to walk in and see the breaker "on." Your lesson is definitely one to take to heart.

[Jerome Stanek]

I put my big compressor on a switch by my door. I have a light hooked up to remind me that my compressor is in the on position. I also have a valve that is controlled by my light switch that when I turn on my main bank of lights the relay kicks in and I have air.

[Cody Colston]

I know another woodworker that had a HF air compressor catch on fire. It was just fortunate that it didn't burn his shop down.

I don't buy anything electrical from HF.

[John K Jordan]

I hate the smell of something burning in the shop! We had a turning course for some kids in a children's home recently and the first day I smelled something very distinctive. Then the kid on one of my mini lathes said he was having trouble - turned out the lathe was spinning backwards! The starting capacitor had bloated, fried, let the smoke out.

As for air compressors, I've read dire warnings and reports of what can happen when an air compressor is left on when unattended. For those with air compressors behind closet walls or in another room it is probably a good idea to put an electrical disconnect somewhere prominently visible in the shop.

I posted this elsewhere but this is a somewhat oblique view of how I brought both the electrical and air controls into a hallway of my main shop.
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I found an electrical disconnect switch on Amazon that would handle 5 hp motors. I check it along with the lights, door locks, and security system every time I lock the shop. (I do not like to use the breaker or power cord as a disconnect.)

JKJ

[Greg Sznajdruk]

I think you need a smoke detector or a heat detector in your shop. It could prevent l losing a shop or house due to an electrical fire.

Would the dust in the shop set off the smoke detector?

Greg

[Lee Schierer]

Would the dust in the shop set off the smoke detector?

Greg

If I get any burning when I rip a board the old alarm used to go off. Since I aligned my saw I don't get any burning. If I solder or braize the detector will go off. It has a snap base so I usually take it out if I'm going to do anything smokey. I never had it go off for sawdust.

[Jerome Stanek]

at the print shop I do some cutting for their big compressor almost burned the place down. They had it set to keep air in the big printer so the head would not drift down and over a weekend a air line broke and the compressor kept running and caught fire and it was not a Harbor Freight unit It was a high end Ingersoll Rand screw drive unit

[dennis thompson]

I have smoke detectors all over my house, I never thought to put one in my garage shop,which if I had thought about it would have been the first place I should put one. After reading this thread I put one up today. Thanks for the suggestion.

[John K Jordan]

I have smoke detectors all over my house, I never thought to put one in my garage shop,

I use several and wish I had one that would trigger an outdoor siren I could hear from the house through the woods about 300 ft away.

Don't forget fire extinguishers too, one for every room in the shop!

JKJ

[Keith Westfall]

Thanks for all the comments. I do have it on a switchable circuit - but I guess you need to actually turn it off for that to be effective...

And I do have a fire extinguisher. But nobody would have been there to operate it.

It all makes you think.

I will look into the First alert on - thanks for that suggestion.

Nothing much scarier to us than our shop burning down.