Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

It's mostly near the cold-air return for the furnace (the ceiling in a
hallway area outside the bathroom), and mostly when the furnace blower is
off. We can't smell it coming out of any of the vents when the blower is
running. The CO detector reads zero at all times until air from the garage
gets in after we park the car, at which time it will read 30 to 70 depending
on exposure.

Cigarettes were allowed in the house, but there haven't been any in over
a year, and anyway this doesn't smell like cigarettes in any way at all.
This is not the smell of smoke that remains on clothing and walls after
smoking, this smells very much like dilute secondhand cigar smoke.

--
One meter, to within 0.0125% accuracy (off by just under .005 inches):
Three feet
Three inches
Three eights of an inch

On Nov 12, 1:16 pm, clifto wrote:
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

It's mostly near the cold-air return for the furnace (the ceiling in a
hallway area outside the bathroom), and mostly when the furnace blower is
off. We can't smell it coming out of any of the vents when the blower is
running. The CO detector reads zero at all times until air from the garage
gets in after we park the car, at which time it will read 30 to 70 depending
on exposure.

Cigarettes were allowed in the house, but there haven't been any in over
a year, and anyway this doesn't smell like cigarettes in any way at all.
This is not the smell of smoke that remains on clothing and walls after
smoking, this smells very much like dilute secondhand cigar smoke.

--
One meter, to within 0.0125% accuracy (off by just under .005 inches):
Three feet
Three inches
Three eights of an inch

Three eights of an inch

I still want to know how long "3 eights of an inch" is.

clifto wrote:
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

It's mostly near the cold-air return for the furnace (the ceiling in a
hallway area outside the bathroom), and mostly when the furnace blower is
off. We can't smell it coming out of any of the vents when the blower is
running. The CO detector reads zero at all times until air from the garage
gets in after we park the car, at which time it will read 30 to 70 depending
on exposure.

Cigarettes were allowed in the house, but there haven't been any in over
a year, and anyway this doesn't smell like cigarettes in any way at all.
This is not the smell of smoke that remains on clothing and walls after
smoking, this smells very much like dilute secondhand cigar smoke.

I think I'd be more concerned that the CO detector EVER reads "30 to
70." What units are those?

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

"clifto" wrote in message
...
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

It's mostly near the cold-air return for the furnace (the ceiling in a
hallway area outside the bathroom), and mostly when the furnace blower is
off. We can't smell it coming out of any of the vents when the blower is
running. The CO detector reads zero at all times until air from the garage
gets in after we park the car, at which time it will read 30 to 70
depending
on exposure.

Cigarettes were allowed in the house, but there haven't been any in over
a year, and anyway this doesn't smell like cigarettes in any way at all.
This is not the smell of smoke that remains on clothing and walls after
smoking, this smells very much like dilute secondhand cigar smoke.

1. Near the cold-air return when the blower is off.
2. Cigarettes were used in the house.

Cigarettes are little cigars ... and they can smell about the same under
certain conditions. When the blower is off, it is possible to have a
reverse flow of air and an exchange of stored odors (due to built-up tars
and nicotine).

Or, it could be an electrical problem with overheated insulation, which can
produce all kinds of odors.

Bad smells are often a predictor of impending difficulties. But, sometimes
they just go away.

"clifto" wrote in message
...
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

It's mostly near the cold-air return for the furnace (the ceiling in a
hallway area outside the bathroom), and mostly when the furnace blower is
off. We can't smell it coming out of any of the vents when the blower is
running. The CO detector reads zero at all times until air from the garage
gets in after we park the car, at which time it will read 30 to 70
depending
on exposure.

Cigarettes were allowed in the house, but there haven't been any in over
a year, and anyway this doesn't smell like cigarettes in any way at all.
This is not the smell of smoke that remains on clothing and walls after
smoking, this smells very much like dilute secondhand cigar smoke.

--
One meter, to within 0.0125% accuracy (off by just under .005 inches):
Three feet
Three inches
Three eights of an inch
Seems fairly possible that your blower motor or some other furnace component
is overheating. Turn off the power, open the cover and carefully check
inside after the unit has shut off.

Don Young

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:21:04 -0800, DerbyDad03
wrote:

On Nov 12, 1:16 pm, clifto wrote:
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

It's mostly near the cold-air return for the furnace (the ceiling in a
hallway area outside the bathroom), and mostly when the furnace blower is
off. We can't smell it coming out of any of the vents when the blower is
running. The CO detector reads zero at all times until air from the garage
gets in after we park the car, at which time it will read 30 to 70 depending
on exposure.

Cigarettes were allowed in the house, but there haven't been any in over
a year, and anyway this doesn't smell like cigarettes in any way at all.
This is not the smell of smoke that remains on clothing and walls after
smoking, this smells very much like dilute secondhand cigar smoke.

--
One meter, to within 0.0125% accuracy (off by just under .005 inches):
Three feet
Three inches
Three eights of an inch

Three eights of an inch

I still want to know how long "3 eights of an inch" is.

..888 inch?
--
42 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Never underestimate the power of stupid
people in large groups"

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:19:10 -0600, CJT wrote:

clifto wrote:
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

It's mostly near the cold-air return for the furnace (the ceiling in a
hallway area outside the bathroom), and mostly when the furnace blower is
off. We can't smell it coming out of any of the vents when the blower is
running. The CO detector reads zero at all times until air from the garage
gets in after we park the car, at which time it will read 30 to 70 depending
on exposure.

Cigarettes were allowed in the house, but there haven't been any in over
a year, and anyway this doesn't smell like cigarettes in any way at all.
This is not the smell of smoke that remains on clothing and walls after
smoking, this smells very much like dilute secondhand cigar smoke.

I think I'd be more concerned that the CO detector EVER reads "30 to
70." What units are those?

Aren't they PPM (Parts Per Million)?
--
42 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Never underestimate the power of stupid
people in large groups"

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 12, 1:16 pm, clifto wrote:
--
One meter, to within 0.0125% accuracy (off by just under .005 inches):
Three feet
Three inches
Three eights of an inch

Three eights of an inch

I still want to know how long "3 eights of an inch" is

0.375"

--
Angry American flags attack Hillary Clinton!

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:19:10 -0600, CJT wrote:
clifto wrote:
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

It's mostly near the cold-air return for the furnace (the ceiling in a
hallway area outside the bathroom), and mostly when the furnace blower is
off. We can't smell it coming out of any of the vents when the blower is
running. The CO detector reads zero at all times until air from the garage
gets in after we park the car, at which time it will read 30 to 70 depending
on exposure.

Cigarettes were allowed in the house, but there haven't been any in over
a year, and anyway this doesn't smell like cigarettes in any way at all.
This is not the smell of smoke that remains on clothing and walls after
smoking, this smells very much like dilute secondhand cigar smoke.

I think I'd be more concerned that the CO detector EVER reads "30 to
70." What units are those?

Aren't they PPM (Parts Per Million)?

I believe so. It's not a concern because when the door is open, the car
tailpipe is about ten feet from the detector. If we do anything but drive
straight in and douse the engine immediately, there's going to be a little
cloud of exhaust at the back door.

--
Angry American flags attack Hillary Clinton!

In article ,
clifto wrote:

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 12, 1:16 pm, clifto wrote:
--
One meter, to within 0.0125% accuracy (off by just under .005 inches):
Three feet
Three inches
Three eights of an inch

Three eights of an inch

I still want to know how long "3 eights of an inch" is

0.375"

SHEESH! Check the SPELLING, Cliff.

Charles wrote:
"clifto" wrote...
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

1. Near the cold-air return when the blower is off.
2. Cigarettes were used in the house.

3. 19 months between the last cigarette in the house and the start of the
smell.

Cigarettes are little cigars ... and they can smell about the same under
certain conditions. When the blower is off, it is possible to have a
reverse flow of air and an exchange of stored odors (due to built-up tars
and nicotine).

I could almost go with that, if the smell had shown up within 18 months of
the last smoking. Even the wife, who always hated smoking in the house,
didn't smell this before a week or two ago.

Or, it could be an electrical problem with overheated insulation, which can
produce all kinds of odors.

My first full-time electronics job started over forty years ago, so I'm
pretty familiar with smells from electrical burning, including insulation.
This isn't even close.

--
Angry American flags attack Hillary Clinton!

"clifto" wrote in message
...
Charles wrote:
"clifto" wrote...
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been
any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

1. Near the cold-air return when the blower is off.
2. Cigarettes were used in the house.

3. 19 months between the last cigarette in the house and the start of the
smell.

Cigarettes are little cigars ... and they can smell about the same under
certain conditions. When the blower is off, it is possible to have a
reverse flow of air and an exchange of stored odors (due to built-up tars
and nicotine).

I could almost go with that, if the smell had shown up within 18 months of
the last smoking. Even the wife, who always hated smoking in the house,
didn't smell this before a week or two ago.

Or, it could be an electrical problem with overheated insulation, which
can
produce all kinds of odors.

My first full-time electronics job started over forty years ago, so I'm
pretty familiar with smells from electrical burning, including insulation.
This isn't even close.

Any other information? Pesticides or fungicides used recently?

Charles wrote:
"clifto" wrote in message
...
Charles wrote:
"clifto" wrote...
Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have never been
any
cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in the 5-1/2
years we've been here.

1. Near the cold-air return when the blower is off.
2. Cigarettes were used in the house.

3. 19 months between the last cigarette in the house and the start of the
smell.

Cigarettes are little cigars ... and they can smell about the same under
certain conditions. When the blower is off, it is possible to have a
reverse flow of air and an exchange of stored odors (due to built-up tars
and nicotine).

I could almost go with that, if the smell had shown up within 18 months of
the last smoking. Even the wife, who always hated smoking in the house,
didn't smell this before a week or two ago.

Or, it could be an electrical problem with overheated insulation, which
can
produce all kinds of odors.

My first full-time electronics job started over forty years ago, so I'm
pretty familiar with smells from electrical burning, including insulation.
This isn't even close.

Any other information? Pesticides or fungicides used recently?

Not a thing. Not even household cleaners in that area or nearby.

AFAICT none of the neighbors smokes anything other than cigarettes, so
it's probably not coming from outside.

--
Angry American flags attack Hillary Clinton!

still just me wrote:
On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:50:20 -0600, clifto wrote:

My first full-time electronics job started over forty years ago, so I'm
pretty familiar with smells from electrical burning, including insulation.
This isn't even close.

Definitely haunted. Cut up a 4x4 section of the basement floor and
look for indian bones (or a cigar store indian, that might be it).

THAT'S the problem, there is no basement!

--
Angry American flags attack Hillary Clinton!

clifto wrote:
: Charles wrote:
: : "clifto" wrote in message
: : ...
: : : Charles wrote:
: : : : "clifto" wrote...
: : : : : Our house is developing a cigar-smoke smell, and there have
: : : : : never been any
: : : : : cigars inside the house (not at all, much less lit ones) in
: : : : : the 5-1/2 years we've been here.
: : : :
: : : : 1. Near the cold-air return when the blower is off.
: : : : 2. Cigarettes were used in the house.
: : :
: : : 3. 19 months between the last cigarette in the house and the
: : : start of the smell.
: : :
: : : : Cigarettes are little cigars ... and they can smell about the
: : : : same under certain conditions. When the blower is off, it is
: : : : possible to have a reverse flow of air and an exchange of
: : : : stored odors (due to built-up tars and nicotine).
: : :
: : : I could almost go with that, if the smell had shown up within 18
: : : months of the last smoking. Even the wife, who always hated
: : : smoking in the house, didn't smell this before a week or two ago.
: : :
: : : : Or, it could be an electrical problem with overheated
: : : : insulation, which can
: : : : produce all kinds of odors.
: : :
: : : My first full-time electronics job started over forty years ago,
: : : so I'm pretty familiar with smells from electrical burning,
: : : including insulation. This isn't even close.
: :
: : Any other information? Pesticides or fungicides used recently?
:
: Not a thing. Not even household cleaners in that area or nearby.
:
: AFAICT none of the neighbors smokes anything other than cigarettes, so
: it's probably not coming from outside.


Take a look he http://www.air-zone.com/shock.html or google "ozone
shock treatment"

Larry

The obvious answer is start smoking cigars.