Pellet stove smells like burning plastic

Pellet stove is 5 years old and all of a sudden in the last couple days it smells like burning plastic or burning steel, anyone else have this problem?

Paula Romain Paula Romain
Jan '17

Try burning at the absolutely highest setting. If you had something more than just the pellets burning, that will cure it. If not, try checking what the output pipe is touching. The high temp can definitely melt things so you have to make sure it's got proper clearance.


When was the last time the stove was cleaned?
My stove will build up creosote if I go 4 weeks without cleaning it. Only on the back panel over the fire.
To me, it smells like the cast iron frying pan when the wife gets it rip roaring hot.

Embryodad Embryodad
Jan '17

Check the quality / source of the pellets as well.

Steven Steven
Jan '17

Did you take the pellets out of their bag?

Darrin Darrin
Jan '17

Do you have animals? Check that the distribution blower is not clogged with pet hair/dander it will cause a obnoxious smell.

Mpzab Mpzab
Jan '17

Pellets out of the bag ---- that's a good one!

Two places these stoves push air: one to heat the home and the other to burn the pellets.

First place stove takes air is to heat the home air to make you warm. The stove takes air from underneath near the house floor, runs it around the baffles behind the firebox to heat it up, and pushes it out the vents at front top of the stove and back to the house. So, if you had plastic on the floor, and it was light enough to be sucked into the intake, it could end up heated in the air passage somewhere, smelling and the air pushed to the house would be smelly. Don't think there are any filters in this system to stop stuff. Probably best just to burn this out but you are at a pretty low heat even at full blast so could take a bit.

Second place stove takes air is TO the firebox to make the fire and out the chimney. This air usually comes in to a vent in the stove back which can be extended to the house or outside (if you are sexy!). Might pick up some plastic this way right into the firebox. Or you could have somehow left some plastic behind when you opened the door to tend the fire box OR, most likely, you left some plastic in the pellets when you loaded up. Or if you have little ones, putting stuff in the hopper might be a good call. So this plastic follows the pellet feed, hits the fire box and you smell plastic seeping through the door. This one should burn out pretty quickly hopefully not affecting your burn. And you can feel lucky it made the box rather than get hung up partway on it's journey.

Third place is did you leave some plastic somewhere on the stove. Probably doubtful or you would find that one pretty quick.

Lastly, something could have broken off but I think you would notice some other malfunction if that happened.

Bottom line: burn baby burn and chances are you will burn out the smell.

strangerdanger strangerdanger
Jan '17

The gases from the plastic could very well be deadly to breathe....not good advice to burn baby burn....best to shut down and investigate ....making certain the is air circulation in the room.

Plastic fumes are typically toxic!

Be Safe !

Steven Steven
Jan '17

You are right, I am wrong.

Was thinking it's just a smell at this point and that any "toxic" damage was done.

FYI --- chances are unless there was smoke that the toxicity level was about the same as walking along Route 80 so probably no need to go nuclear over it.

But you are right, better not to snort plastic fumes.

strangerdanger strangerdanger
Jan '17

I think we're beating a dead horse here....???

Embryodad Embryodad
Jan '17

Better to "beat the dead horse" than have someone get ill....or worse .

Just my opinion !

Steven Steven
Jan '17

Did you ever find the source of the plastic smell? I have a Quadrafire stove. Just cleaned it thoroughly and started it for the first time this season. Ran for about five hours with no problems then I started smelling a plastic smell. Pulled the stove and went all over the back, saw no signs of wire damage. Then in inspected the firepot and saw a black glaze above the pellet burn line in the pot. I don't remember this being there when I cleaned the pot. Thinking this may be some sore of melted plastic. A real mystery.

Jim Kraft Jim Kraft
Oct '18

I'm not familiar with how the pellets are made. However, could the plastic smell be related to a binding agent used to make the pellets? Just a thought.


Pellet stove in house down south ….always, always , always burned "premium pellets....Good luck !

steven steven
Oct '18

If it is new and if any parts/materials are made in China it may be the chemicals used in manufacturing. I've had big and small appliances that emit a plastic/chemical smell, especially when heated. In fact my new Revlon hair dryer even has the same damn smell.

Gardenfish Gardenfish
Oct '18

I’m having the same problem with the plastic smell. I can’t find anything that can be causing it but it’s really annoying. The stove is a Quadra Fire insert and is about six months old . Just started smelling about a week ago.

Dewgrass Dewgrass
Feb '19

I found my intake pipe is directly above the exhaust pipe ,about 3 inches . I have a plastic smell also . This could not have bee installed properly but the smell is only new this year. I have thoroughly cleaned the stove but the smell remains .


Try different pellets?

Is the smell from the stack or the stove fan into the house?

StrangerDanger StrangerDanger
Mar '19

i also this year ,smelling plastic burning trying to find the location of the smell

Dan Rufrano Dan Rufrano
Nov '19

just made changes to outside 3 inch pipe with tee and two clean outs had smoke on start up, now that is fixed now plastic smell and stopped smoke ,any ideas

Dan Rufrano Dan Rufrano
Nov '19

what "Brand" / type pellets is everyone using ?

I would not be surprised to discover a common brand causing this ….

steven steven
Nov '19

We have a Ferenheit endurance 50. Also have a funny smell coming through our heating ducts. Been burning since beginning of October with no smell doing small weekly cleans. Did a big clean today and started it up after it being off for 3 days and it smells awful. Also hooked the firebox intake to an outside air source instead of pulling from the basement in Hope's of a cleaner flame. Not thinking this could make a smell difference but who knows. Going to let it burn a few hours and see if it gets better


Does it use your forced air heat ducts? Cool. Or are you saying you got same smell from furnace ducts? That would be a puzzler.

I take it the smell is coming from all ducts indicating a stove issue with something sucked in. If it’s in stove, could be tough to get to. Hopefully will burn/melt itself out soon.

I don’t think the smell comes from the fire box.

But if only on start up, you may have a small.leak and downdraft issue.

I get a puff on startup from the first chimney fine trap just off the stove on the downward t because 1) clean out cap not 100% air tight 2) down draft on cold start from oversized 6 inch pipe. Once the flame starts I get all up draft, problem gone. But smells like wood, cozy. So it it’s only on start up that would be an idea. As in one malingering puff. I have fire proof tape if I want to take the next step.

This problem goes away once I get enough fine dust in the trap, however, can reappear on cleaning or any good stove vibration.

Can use flashlight in the dark on startup to see if you getting any smoke puffs from any of the pipe work. Easy to see then.

Strangerdanger Strangerdanger
Nov '19

We have had our pellet stove for years. My husband has checked , replaced parts , ran stove on highest setting , the crazy thing is the smell has got worse and smells like a chemical burning to me. First time this has happened is this year. The strange thing is pellets were most expensive this year and we tried 3-4 different brands. I wonder what if the pellets had chemicals, plastic or something. Jus because a bag of pellets is sold by a different company doesn't mean the company's dudnt get the pellets from the same source. Look at dog food recalls, you cant tell it's bad until it is to late or recalled. Our stove is useless as of right now. I have asthma and that smell seems toxic.

Carla callehan Carla callehan
Nov '19

If you used red fire caulk, get rid of all of it. If you used it inside the pipe gasket or to seal connection at stove. Remove everything with red fire caulk install new pipe and use black stove & fireplace cement mortar ONLY. Had the same issue chased it for 2 months. Scrape all of it off the exhaust pipe on your fireplace as well.

Jay Slaw Jay Slaw
Jan '20

Pellet stoves create a good deal of PM2.5 particle pollution. It’s like idling a truck that exhausts right outside your house. And some of the exhaust gets back in the house through natural air flow (ACH). Burning anything for heat produces health problems so the plastic smell can be considered a helpful red flag. Heat pumps are cheaper and easier to run than pellet stoves and produce zero pollution. They also provide cooling in summer. Maybe switch to a cleaner heater and be done?

Happyhomedog Happyhomedog
Jul '21

Clean your fans. There is typically 2 yellow plastic caps on the combustion fan/blower for the heat. Use 3 in 1 oil. 3 drops in each of the holes. Not 4...3 drops each hole. Put some compressed air to the fan with shop vac going at same time. As it will put out dust. Your welcome...upstate NewYork...my Lopi stove is 22yrs old...cranks...buy American. Travis industries...Washington state baby...

Slick willy Slick willy
Dec '21

Then let it burn...open windows if need be...why you should service in the early fall...hint hint

Slick willy Slick willy
Dec '21

I was being overwhelmed by a burnt plastic smell coming from my pellet stove for a long time when I turned up the blower/pellet feed. The problem was that it was leaking in between two joints from a faulty elbow seam. I fixed it by adding cement where the manufacturer pressed parts together without sealer. I couldn't see a leak but fumes were getting into the room and much more when I turned up the stove. This should help a lot of people. I see many posts about this.

Gerald Lindsay Gerald Lindsay
Jan '22

My pellets have black stuff made in them smoked up everything looks like rubber smells like rubber pretty sure it's rubber just got a hold of pellet mfg. Wrecked my new stove waiting to hear from them tomorrow

Thomas Thomas
Aug '22

gerald,

for anyone lookin for a smell that you are pretty sure is smoke, try a flashlight in the dark during ignition, you can usually spot even the smallest whisps pretty fast that way.

often the smoke is only during start-up, once fired everything tend to go up the chimney and not into the room. mine does a puff during ignition after a good chimney cleaning until I get an ash covering in the seams. I could cement it, but instead live with it since it goes away and really just smells a little woody. and i like to easily take it apart for cleaning or service.

Babbit Babbit
Sep '22

Re: Pellet stove smells like burning plastic

I found plastic pressed into pellets I bought. My stove was having all kinds of crazy ash and I saw melted spots under my ash pot. Pictures below


What brand of pellet is that?
Have the same probem of absolutely ridiculous amount of carbon build up in exhaust fan area and after. Not ash or dust but chunks of carbon all through out the exhaust system, sticking to every avilable surface. None in the pot area however. Destroyed turbine blade. After only four bags! Pulled pellets from hopper this morning. Havent had a chance to inspect yet.


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