Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something into our
apartment. It caused severe burning eyes, nose, throat, and lungs;
hitching in breathing, headache, nausea, flushed "hot" face, and
difficulty breathing. Plus, it made the air seem "heavy". The monitor
was in a room with all windows closed and central A/C on. This went on
for nearly three days, during which the monitor was on a total of 26
hours. When we realized it was the monitor, we removed it from the
apartment. We have been ventilating with all windows and doors open
all hours with five fans running for two weeks now. The "gas" is still
in our apartment and causing the same symptoms (but milder unless we
close the windows). We are sleeping on the balcony and only go inside
for 20-30 minutes. On colder days (below 60 degrees) we can stay
inside maybe an hour before we need fresh air. It's worse in warmer
temperatures.

Every computer person we've talked to says they've never heard of a
monitor doing this. One person thought the monitor was burning old
plastic or had burned through to a dangerous plastic coating. The guy
who was supposed to inspect it never came by. We live in a small town
and there are not any true specialists in monitors here.

I'm desperate to find out what this "gas" is--and how much damage it
has done (and is doing) to us. We have very little money and no other
place to live. We are sleeping on the balcony, hoping that the "gas"
will ventilate out. We fear it was absorbed by the carpeting (and
other things) while the windows were closed and is now being released
when it warms up. Considering it was a limited emission, we're hoping
it will all release and be gone soon.

Has anyone ever heard of something like this? Do you have any idea
what the "gas" would have been? If so, do you think it will eventually
blow out anytime soon (or in weeks, months)? Would turning on the
heater help? If we move, is it absorbed into all our stuff and will
move with us and release into our new apartment?

I emailed Sam Goldwasser at his website and he said he could only
guess that one of the electrolytica capacitors was the source, or
possibly an overheated transformer or inductor. He did not know
however what this would release into the air, but he did think it
would dissipate and not do long-term health damage.

If anyone has any more ideas WHAT got released into the air and/or how
long it should take to ventilate out or has anything to add to Mr.
Goldwasser's guess, I would appreciate it.

THANK YOU!
Jolene

"Jolene" wrote in message
...
Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something into our
apartment. It caused severe burning eyes, nose, throat, and lungs;
hitching in breathing, headache, nausea, flushed "hot" face, and
difficulty breathing. Plus, it made the air seem "heavy". The monitor
was in a room with all windows closed and central A/C on. This went on


Some part overheated and smoked. It is bad to breath but not fatal. It
releases particulate products that will settle everywhere and give off
lingering odors. The worst is over with airing things out. Treat as if
smoke damage to the apartment. You will need to first throw out the
monitor, because it would be too difficult to clean even if it is an easy
repair. The smell will linger in it. You will need to wash everything in
the apartment.including Kitchen, utensils, pots and pans, windows, drapes,
walls, all horizontal surfaces top to bottom. Vacuum carpet and upholstery,
couch, and probably clean them as well.

Just clean what smells the worst first and keep cleaning. Any time you
think you are finished, go outside for a while and come back in and find the
worst again.

You should have killed the power to the entire apartment until you found the
problem. Be grateful it isn't nuclear fallout.

Jolene wrote:
Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something into our
apartment. It caused severe burning eyes,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone

--
Adrian C

On Fri, 4 Sep 2009 07:16:42 -0700 (PDT), Jolene
wrote:

Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something into our
apartment. It caused severe burning eyes, nose, throat, and lungs;
hitching in breathing, headache, nausea, flushed "hot" face, and
difficulty breathing. Plus, it made the air seem "heavy". The monitor
was in a room with all windows closed and central A/C on. This went on
for nearly three days, during which the monitor was on a total of 26
hours. When we realized it was the monitor

Oh, and how did you realize this? What test did you apply? What
evidence?

, we removed it from the
apartment. We have been ventilating with all windows and doors open
all hours with five fans running for two weeks now.

So it clearly is 'aired' out.

The "gas" is still
in our apartment

Then it clearly was not the monitor. The monitor is gone, by your
admission, you aired the apartment for weeks, with multiple fans.

and causing the same symptoms (but milder unless we
close the windows). We are sleeping on the balcony and only go inside
for 20-30 minutes. On colder days (below 60 degrees) we can stay
inside maybe an hour before we need fresh air. It's worse in warmer
temperatures.

You need professional help. If nothing else, call the fire department
and express concerns that you are experiencing CO poisioning.


Every computer person we've talked to says they've never heard of a
monitor doing this. One person thought the monitor was burning old
plastic or had burned through to a dangerous plastic coating. The guy
who was supposed to inspect it never came by. We live in a small town
and there are not any true specialists in monitors here.

It was NOT the monitor, so forget this path now.


I'm desperate to find out what this "gas" is--and how much damage it
has done (and is doing) to us. We have very little money and no other
place to live. We are sleeping on the balcony, hoping that the "gas"
will ventilate out. We fear it was absorbed by the carpeting (and
other things) while the windows were closed and is now being released
when it warms up. Considering it was a limited emission, we're hoping
it will all release and be gone soon.

I'd guess probably low level CO. Gas heat, gas hot water, vehicle
fumes, and such.


Has anyone ever heard of something like this?

No, not physically possible after three weeks of airing out with the
device removed. Repeat: this is not possible. Period.

Do you have any idea
what the "gas" would have been?

Very possibly CO from a defective gas appliance, or vehicle.

If so, do you think it will eventually
blow out anytime soon (or in weeks, months)? Would turning on the
heater help? If we move, is it absorbed into all our stuff and will
move with us and release into our new apartment?

Let's say your contaiminated the apartment with 'something' (you say
your monitor did it) and now you'd like to move and saddle the
landlord/future tennant with a problem you created? Uh, are you
serious?


I emailed Sam Goldwasser at his website and he said he could only
guess that one of the electrolytica capacitors was the source, or
possibly an overheated transformer or inductor. He did not know
however what this would release into the air, but he did think it
would dissipate and not do long-term health damage.

If anyone has any more ideas WHAT got released into the air and/or how
long it should take to ventilate out or has anything to add to Mr.
Goldwasser's guess, I would appreciate it.

THANK YOU!
Jolene

Get an professional air-quality expert and he can tell you if
something is in your air. Do it now. Worst case: call the fire
department and ask them to check the CO levels.

In article , PeterD
writes

It was NOT the monitor, so forget this path now.

Agreed.

--
(\__/)
(='.'=) Bunny says Windows 7 is Vi$ta reloaded.
(")_(") http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/windows_7.png

At first when I read this, I could not believe it, but after reading the
responses, I tend to agree, it likely was not the monitor. Since you are in
an apartment complex, and not on the bottom floor, its possible someone
below could have been smoking 'sh**' and the ' fallout ' deposited into the
air caused your monitor to fail prematurely. I have worked on electronics
for many years, and seen smoke inhalated units do some very strange things
that cannot be explained. I know for a fact in a life threatining experience
that people smoking ' sh**' will definately cause C02 detectors to trigger
occasionally, so it tells you something about what they are putting in those
things. The guy I tried to prosecute for doing this was getting all his
money for it from government assistance, and he could not be touched because
he was 'sick'. How convienient.



"Jolene" wrote in message
...
Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something into our
apartment. It caused severe burning eyes, nose, throat, and lungs;
hitching in breathing, headache, nausea, flushed "hot" face, and
difficulty breathing. Plus, it made the air seem "heavy". The monitor
was in a room with all windows closed and central A/C on. This went on
for nearly three days, during which the monitor was on a total of 26
hours. When we realized it was the monitor, we removed it from the
apartment. We have been ventilating with all windows and doors open
all hours with five fans running for two weeks now. The "gas" is still
in our apartment and causing the same symptoms (but milder unless we
close the windows). We are sleeping on the balcony and only go inside
for 20-30 minutes. On colder days (below 60 degrees) we can stay
inside maybe an hour before we need fresh air. It's worse in warmer
temperatures.

Every computer person we've talked to says they've never heard of a
monitor doing this. One person thought the monitor was burning old
plastic or had burned through to a dangerous plastic coating. The guy
who was supposed to inspect it never came by. We live in a small town
and there are not any true specialists in monitors here.

I'm desperate to find out what this "gas" is--and how much damage it
has done (and is doing) to us. We have very little money and no other
place to live. We are sleeping on the balcony, hoping that the "gas"
will ventilate out. We fear it was absorbed by the carpeting (and
other things) while the windows were closed and is now being released
when it warms up. Considering it was a limited emission, we're hoping
it will all release and be gone soon.

Has anyone ever heard of something like this? Do you have any idea
what the "gas" would have been? If so, do you think it will eventually
blow out anytime soon (or in weeks, months)? Would turning on the
heater help? If we move, is it absorbed into all our stuff and will
move with us and release into our new apartment?

I emailed Sam Goldwasser at his website and he said he could only
guess that one of the electrolytica capacitors was the source, or
possibly an overheated transformer or inductor. He did not know
however what this would release into the air, but he did think it
would dissipate and not do long-term health damage.

If anyone has any more ideas WHAT got released into the air and/or how
long it should take to ventilate out or has anything to add to Mr.
Goldwasser's guess, I would appreciate it.

THANK YOU!
Jolene

On Sep 4, 10:16*am, Jolene wrote:
Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something into our
apartment. It caused severe burning eyes, nose, throat, and lungs;
hitching in breathing, headache, nausea, flushed "hot" face, and
difficulty breathing. Plus, it made the air seem "heavy". The monitor
was in a room with all windows closed and central A/C on. This went on
for nearly three days, during which the monitor was on a total of 26
hours. When we realized it was the monitor, we removed it from the
apartment. We have been ventilating with all windows and doors open
all hours with five fans running for two weeks now. The "gas" is still
in our apartment and causing the same symptoms (but milder unless we
close the windows). We are sleeping on the balcony and only go inside
for 20-30 minutes. On colder days (below 60 degrees) we can stay
inside maybe an hour before we need fresh air. It's worse in warmer
temperatures.

Every computer person we've talked to says they've never heard of a
monitor doing this. One person thought the monitor was burning old
plastic or had burned through to a dangerous plastic coating. The guy
who was supposed to inspect it never came by. We live in a small town
and there are not any true specialists in monitors here.

I'm desperate to find out what this "gas" is--and how much damage it
has done (and is doing) to us. We have very little money and no other
place to live. We are sleeping on the balcony, hoping that the "gas"
will ventilate out. We fear it was absorbed by the carpeting (and
other things) while the windows were closed and is now being released
when it warms up. Considering it was a limited emission, we're hoping
it will all release and be gone soon.

Has anyone ever heard of something like this? Do you have any idea
what the "gas" would have been? If so, do you think it will eventually
blow out anytime soon (or in weeks, months)? Would turning on the
heater help? If we move, is it absorbed into all our stuff and will
From your description, I can not think of anything in a monitor that
can cause a problem to the level that you are describing. I have been
servicing monitors and TV sets for many years.

The only thing I can think of is if an electrolytic capacitor, or an
inductor, or a resistor burned up because of a severe failure. This
normally makes a little bit of a burned smell which is harmless and
will go away over a few minutes to several hours. If the monitor is
having a component failure to the degree where it is burning up the
monitor cannot be operating for very long. It would have to fail and
be shut down.

If you are living in an apartment building, there is more of a chance
that one of the neighbors is doing something that is making a bad
smell in your apartment. In the apartment building where I live there
are neighbors who are always cooking, and sometimes they make odors
that I find annoying.


Jerry G.



move with us and release into our new apartment?

I emailed Sam Goldwasser at his website and he said he could only
guess that one of the electrolytica capacitors was the source, or
possibly an overheated transformer or inductor. He did not know
however what this would release into the air, but he did think it
would dissipate and not do long-term health damage.

If anyone has any more ideas WHAT got released into the air and/or how
long it should take to ventilate out or has anything to add to Mr.
Goldwasser's guess, I would appreciate it.

THANK YOU!
Jolene

On Fri, 4 Sep 2009 07:16:42 -0700 (PDT), Jolene
wrote:

Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something into our
apartment. It caused severe burning eyes, nose, throat, and lungs;
hitching in breathing, headache, nausea, flushed "hot" face, and
difficulty breathing.

Whatever it was is irritating the mucous membranes. There are a large
number of possibilities ranging from a organic volatiles to mustard
gas. None of the possible irritants are produced by a CRT monitor.
It's possible that the plasticizer from the plastic case may have
broken down, but you would have to literally melt the entire case in
order to produce a sufficiently large quantity. It's not the monitor.

You did not mention any odor or smells. This is an important clue.
Any unusual smells or are you also having trouble smelling? Many
organic volatiles are nasal desensitizers.

Plus, it made the air seem "heavy".

I think difficulty breathing would be a better description. When the
lungs are irritated by almost anything, they try to wash away the
contaminant. This fluid accumulates and blocks some of the avioli,
resulting in less oxygen absorption, thus heavy breathing. Are you
coughing up any liquids? Runny nose?

The symptoms sound like a fairly good match to methylamphetamine
exposu
http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/meth-labs.htm
Exposure to VOCs may cause symptoms such as nose and throat
irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion
and breathing difficulties.

We had a squatter use an empty house as a meth lab and managed to
contaminate the place. It may have been my imagination, but after
about 30 minutes in the house, I had a sore throat that took about a
day to disappear. The owners are essentially rebuilding the place and
had to remove all the drywall, furniture, carpeting, and some of the
plumbing. Fortunately, nothing was flushed into the septic.

The monitor
was in a room with all windows closed and central A/C on. This went on
for nearly three days, during which the monitor was on a total of 26
hours. When we realized it was the monitor, we removed it from the
apartment. We have been ventilating with all windows and doors open
all hours with five fans running for two weeks now.

You've exchange the room air perhaps 100 times since you started
venting. Whatever "gas" was produced is long gone.

Look in your local environmental health directory for someone that can
run tests for the chemicals used in a meth lab, its residue, and other
contaminants under the general tag line of "sick house".
http://www.sickhousesurvival.com
There are also some cheap drug testing kits that might be useful. Make
sure it's for buildings, not individuals. For example:
http://inspection-perfection.com/main/pages/order%20test.htm

The "gas" is still
in our apartment and causing the same symptoms (but milder unless we
close the windows).

It's not a gas. It was absorbed into the furniture, carpet, and dry
wall. If it's a meth lab, you're in for a major re-construction job:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/meth-cleanup.htm

(...cut...)

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sep 4, 7:16*am, Jolene wrote:
Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something into our
apartment. It caused severe burning eyes, nose, throat, and lungs;
hitching in breathing, headache, nausea, flushed "hot" face, and
difficulty breathing. Plus, it made the air seem "heavy". The monitor
was in a room with all windows closed and central A/C on. This went on
for nearly three days, during which the monitor was on a total of 26
hours. When we realized it was the monitor, we removed it from the
apartment. We have been ventilating with all windows and doors open
all hours with five fans running for two weeks now. The "gas" is still
in our apartment and causing the same symptoms (but milder unless we
close the windows). We are sleeping on the balcony and only go inside
for 20-30 minutes. On colder days (below 60 degrees) we can stay
inside maybe an hour before we need fresh air. It's worse in warmer
temperatures.

Every computer person we've talked to says they've never heard of a
monitor doing this. One person thought the monitor was burning old
plastic or had burned through to a dangerous plastic coating. The guy
who was supposed to inspect it never came by. We live in a small town
and there are not any true specialists in monitors here.

I'm desperate to find out what this "gas" is--and how much damage it
has done (and is doing) to us. We have very little money and no other
place to live. We are sleeping on the balcony, hoping that the "gas"
will ventilate out. We fear it was absorbed by the carpeting (and
other things) while the windows were closed and is now being released
when it warms up. Considering it was a limited emission, we're hoping
it will all release and be gone soon.

Has anyone ever heard of something like this? Do you have any idea
what the "gas" would have been? If so, do you think it will eventually
blow out anytime soon (or in weeks, months)? Would turning on the
heater help? If we move, is it absorbed into all our stuff and will
move with us and release into our new apartment?

I emailed Sam Goldwasser at his website and he said he could only
guess that one of the electrolytica capacitors was the source, or
possibly an overheated transformer or inductor. He did not know
however what this would release into the air, but he did think it
would dissipate and not do long-term health damage.

If anyone has any more ideas WHAT got released into the air and/or how
long it should take to ventilate out or has anything to add to Mr.
Goldwasser's guess, I would appreciate it.

THANK YOU!
Jolene

It takes a lot to trigger an allergic response. It then takes a lot
LESS to not trigger the same allergic response. Sometimes these
ratios can be huge.

Your description sounds a little like mold contamination. Warmer,
bothers you more. etc. Any coincidental increase in humidity? Or,
some one in the apartment complex allowing mold to form? like standing
water around their plumbing fixtures. We actually rinse bleach through
the toilet tanks periodically to remove the buildup of slime mold,
which smells like a basement. Also, just thought of "check your
fridge" The water that runs out during defrost cycle may have started
something growing too.

Mold formation can occur in a home where the plumbing failed
'slightly' and the drip [even inside the walls and out of sight]
formed a location for the most horrible growth.... actually smelled
like gray water, really nasty. Don't take mold contamination
lightly.

On the bright side, mitigation may be your landlord's responsibility.

You do have an electrostatic air cleaner, right?

Robert

I have never heard so many techs that were oblivious to the idea of a smoked
piece of consumer electronics and how to deal with it. Yes, it is
obnoxious. No it won't kill you, but it is irritating, and even after
ventilating, there will be lingering odors until you do a clean up. Treat
it like smoke damage.

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:57:44 GMT, "JB" wrote:

I have never heard so many techs that were oblivious to the idea of a smoked
piece of consumer electronics and how to deal with it.

I call to your attention that the CRT monitor was still functional
when it was removed from the apartment. I can't think of anything in
the monitor that would both volatize and allow continued operation.

Yes, it is
obnoxious. No it won't kill you, but it is irritating, and even after
ventilating, there will be lingering odors until you do a clean up. Treat
it like smoke damage.

I call to your attention that there was no mention of smoke or noxious
smells. There were only the original symptoms. I asked about these,
but received no reply. They also ventillated the room for apparently
several days without complete removal. That's usually sufficient for
"smoke damage".

Incidentally, I've had electrolytics blow up and flybacks smoke
several times in my chequered career. The smell lasts for perhaps a
day at most, not 2+ weeks. My favorite was a can type electrolytic
mounted on a bakelite base to the chassis. When it blew, the aluminum
can simulated a rocket and punched a neat circular hole in the plastic
(bakelite?) TV case. This was accompanied by oily paper confetti,
some smoke, and a muffled bang. Repairing it was easy enough, but
explaining the hole in the case to the customer was a bit awkward.






--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

In article , Jeff Liebermann
writes

I can't think of anything in
the monitor that would both volatize and allow continued operation.

A class X capacitor across the mains. Seen it several times.

--
(\__/)
(='.'=) Bunny says Windows 7 is Vi$ta reloaded.
(")_(") http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/windows_7.png

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:57:44 GMT, "JB" wrote:

I have never heard so many techs that were oblivious to the idea of a smoked
piece of consumer electronics and how to deal with it.

I call to your attention that the CRT monitor was still functional
when it was removed from the apartment. I can't think of anything in
the monitor that would both volatize and allow continued operation.

Yes, it is
obnoxious. No it won't kill you, but it is irritating, and even after
ventilating, there will be lingering odors until you do a clean up. Treat
it like smoke damage.

I call to your attention that there was no mention of smoke or noxious
smells. There were only the original symptoms. I asked about these,
but received no reply. They also ventillated the room for apparently
several days without complete removal. That's usually sufficient for
"smoke damage".

Incidentally, I've had electrolytics blow up and flybacks smoke
several times in my chequered career. The smell lasts for perhaps a
day at most, not 2+ weeks. My favorite was a can type electrolytic
mounted on a bakelite base to the chassis. When it blew, the aluminum
can simulated a rocket and punched a neat circular hole in the plastic
(bakelite?) TV case. This was accompanied by oily paper confetti,
some smoke, and a muffled bang. Repairing it was easy enough, but
explaining the hole in the case to the customer was a bit awkward.


You didn't tell them you needed the hole to get the new part in?


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!

On Mon, 7 Sep 2009 17:54:44 +0100, Mike Tomlinson
wrote:

In article , Jeff Liebermann
writes

I can't think of anything in
the monitor that would both volatize and allow continued operation.

A class X capacitor across the mains. Seen it several times.

OK, that's possible. Unless the fuse is in the power connector, a
fried capacitor will not blow the fuse. However, such caps are
usually poly-something foil capacitors, which don't have a liquid
electrolyte. They might melt and produce a plastic smell, but nothing
comparable to the cloud of smog produced by an electrolytic.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:29:10 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Repairing it was easy enough, but
explaining the hole in the case to the customer was a bit awkward.

You didn't tell them you needed the hole to get the new part in?

I don't remember what lies I told the customer. At the time, I was
working at a camera and hi-fi repair shop in Santa Monica CA. Most of
the work was outsourced warranty repairs for an assortment of tape
recorder manufacturers. We also took in non-warranty repairs, such as
this TV. I plugged it in, went off somewhere, and then went to work
on the set. It was showing a picture, but with plenty of hum bars and
buzz from the speaker. I made a mental note to look at the power
supply. As I was reaching for the on/off switch, the screen blanked
out. I hesitated for about 5 seconds, which was when the cap blew. I
just stood there like an idiot, while the other techs dived for cover.
Burning confetti and oil smog filled the shop. I did manage to turn
off the set, which was rather useless as the fuse had blown. The rest
was cleaning up the mess and getting the smelly oil out of my hair.

Replacing 2 electrolytics and some dubious parts fixed the TV.
However, there was still the hole in the case. I elected to leave it
because I didn't have replacment case parts. Managment did what
management does best (avoiding responsibility) and stuck me with the
job of explaining the hole to the customer. I was about 18 years old
at the time and did an impressive job of acting like an idiot. I
don't remember what lies I offered but I do recall that they didn't
work very well. So, I later glued a different colored piece of
plastic (or bakelite) cut from a dead TV case into the hole. The
customer was still grumbling, but paid the bill.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On 9/7/2009 10:54 AM Jeff Liebermann spake thus:

Replacing 2 electrolytics and some dubious parts fixed the TV.
However, there was still the hole in the case. I elected to leave it
because I didn't have replacment case parts. Managment did what
management does best (avoiding responsibility) and stuck me with the
job of explaining the hole to the customer. I was about 18 years old
at the time and did an impressive job of acting like an idiot. I
don't remember what lies I offered but I do recall that they didn't
work very well. So, I later glued a different colored piece of
plastic (or bakelite) cut from a dead TV case into the hole. The
customer was still grumbling, but paid the bill.

"Goddamn pimple-faced kid punched a goddamn *hole* in my teevee!"


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:29:10 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Repairing it was easy enough, but
explaining the hole in the case to the customer was a bit awkward.

You didn't tell them you needed the hole to get the new part in?

I don't remember what lies I told the customer. At the time, I was
working at a camera and hi-fi repair shop in Santa Monica CA. Most of
the work was outsourced warranty repairs for an assortment of tape
recorder manufacturers. We also took in non-warranty repairs, such as
this TV. I plugged it in, went off somewhere, and then went to work
on the set. It was showing a picture, but with plenty of hum bars and
buzz from the speaker. I made a mental note to look at the power
supply. As I was reaching for the on/off switch, the screen blanked
out. I hesitated for about 5 seconds, which was when the cap blew. I
just stood there like an idiot, while the other techs dived for cover.
Burning confetti and oil smog filled the shop. I did manage to turn
off the set, which was rather useless as the fuse had blown. The rest
was cleaning up the mess and getting the smelly oil out of my hair.

Replacing 2 electrolytics and some dubious parts fixed the TV.
However, there was still the hole in the case. I elected to leave it
because I didn't have replacment case parts. Managment did what
management does best (avoiding responsibility) and stuck me with the
job of explaining the hole to the customer. I was about 18 years old
at the time and did an impressive job of acting like an idiot. I
don't remember what lies I offered but I do recall that they didn't
work very well. So, I later glued a different colored piece of
plastic (or bakelite) cut from a dead TV case into the hole. The
customer was still grumbling, but paid the bill.


Bondo & spray paint.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:46:11 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:29:10 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Repairing it was easy enough, but
explaining the hole in the case to the customer was a bit awkward.

You didn't tell them you needed the hole to get the new part in?

I don't remember what lies I told the customer. At the time, I was
working at a camera and hi-fi repair shop in Santa Monica CA. Most of
the work was outsourced warranty repairs for an assortment of tape
recorder manufacturers. We also took in non-warranty repairs, such as
this TV. I plugged it in, went off somewhere, and then went to work
on the set. It was showing a picture, but with plenty of hum bars and
buzz from the speaker. I made a mental note to look at the power
supply. As I was reaching for the on/off switch, the screen blanked
out. I hesitated for about 5 seconds, which was when the cap blew. I
just stood there like an idiot, while the other techs dived for cover.
Burning confetti and oil smog filled the shop. I did manage to turn
off the set, which was rather useless as the fuse had blown. The rest
was cleaning up the mess and getting the smelly oil out of my hair.

Replacing 2 electrolytics and some dubious parts fixed the TV.
However, there was still the hole in the case. I elected to leave it
because I didn't have replacment case parts. Managment did what
management does best (avoiding responsibility) and stuck me with the
job of explaining the hole to the customer. I was about 18 years old
at the time and did an impressive job of acting like an idiot. I
don't remember what lies I offered but I do recall that they didn't
work very well. So, I later glued a different colored piece of
plastic (or bakelite) cut from a dead TV case into the hole. The
customer was still grumbling, but paid the bill.


Bondo & spray paint.

Way overkill, duct tape would work just fine.

Hi!

Our old 1990's Viewsonic 6E VGA Monitor emitted something
into our apartment. It caused severe burning eyes, nose, throat,
and lungs; hitching in breathing, headache, nausea, flushed
"hot" face, and difficulty breathing. Plus, it made the air seem
"heavy".

That's a lofty achievement for a monitor.

If something inside the monitor became too hot or burned out, it would
certainly emit an odor. And that odor might even be annoying or
difficult to put up with--especially in a room where little fresh air
is getting in. Any irritation or difficultly it might be causing would
fade within hours at the most.

I really doubt that the monitor is to blame. Even if the whole thing
caught on fire and burnt to a crisp, airing out the room should have
resolved the annoyance and irriation within a few hours.

As another poster suggested, I strongly urge you to consider other
sources of toxic emissions, such as anything that could emit carbon
monoxide. Whatever the cause, you must not treat this issue lightly
because (at the very least) your health is at stake.

That said -- I bought a Viewsonic A90f+ monitor new back in 2003 or 4.
As with most electronics, it had that "new smell" to it. However,
unlike most items, where the smell wears off after the unit has been
in use for a while, this monitor put off that smell for weeks after it
was unboxed. The smell was more prevalent while the unit was powered
on and running. It wasn't apparently hazardous, just annoying.

Finally, the odor faded and everything has been fine since.

William

On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 09:01:10 -0700 (PDT), "William R. Walsh"
wrote:

That said -- I bought a Viewsonic A90f+ monitor new back in 2003 or 4.
As with most electronics, it had that "new smell" to it. However,
unlike most items, where the smell wears off after the unit has been
in use for a while, this monitor put off that smell for weeks after it
was unboxed. The smell was more prevalent while the unit was powered
on and running. It wasn't apparently hazardous, just annoying.

Finally, the odor faded and everything has been fine since.

I'm not so sure that smell is all that safe. PVC was used in some
monitor and TV cases. When hot, PVC belches toxic and noxious
chemicals.
http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/about.htm
However, the quantities involved are microscopic and dissipate
quickly. Still, it's something to worry about.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

In article , Jeff Liebermann
writes

They might melt and produce a plastic smell, but nothing
comparable to the cloud of smog produced by an electrolytic.

I've seen it happen. Several times. You clearly haven't.

--
(\__/)
(='.'=) Bunny says Windows 7 is Vi$ta reloaded.
(")_(") http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/windows_7.png

PeterD wrote:

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:46:11 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:29:10 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Repairing it was easy enough, but
explaining the hole in the case to the customer was a bit awkward.

You didn't tell them you needed the hole to get the new part in?

I don't remember what lies I told the customer. At the time, I was
working at a camera and hi-fi repair shop in Santa Monica CA. Most of
the work was outsourced warranty repairs for an assortment of tape
recorder manufacturers. We also took in non-warranty repairs, such as
this TV. I plugged it in, went off somewhere, and then went to work
on the set. It was showing a picture, but with plenty of hum bars and
buzz from the speaker. I made a mental note to look at the power
supply. As I was reaching for the on/off switch, the screen blanked
out. I hesitated for about 5 seconds, which was when the cap blew. I
just stood there like an idiot, while the other techs dived for cover.
Burning confetti and oil smog filled the shop. I did manage to turn
off the set, which was rather useless as the fuse had blown. The rest
was cleaning up the mess and getting the smelly oil out of my hair.

Replacing 2 electrolytics and some dubious parts fixed the TV.
However, there was still the hole in the case. I elected to leave it
because I didn't have replacment case parts. Managment did what
management does best (avoiding responsibility) and stuck me with the
job of explaining the hole to the customer. I was about 18 years old
at the time and did an impressive job of acting like an idiot. I
don't remember what lies I offered but I do recall that they didn't
work very well. So, I later glued a different colored piece of
plastic (or bakelite) cut from a dead TV case into the hole. The
customer was still grumbling, but paid the bill.


Bondo & spray paint.

Way overkill, duct tape would work just fine.


Only for amateurs.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!

Michael A. Terrell wrote:
PeterD wrote:


Bondo & spray paint.
Way overkill, duct tape would work just fine.


Only for amateurs.



Red Green is certainly no amateur! ;-)

propman wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:
PeterD wrote:


Bondo & spray paint.
Way overkill, duct tape would work just fine.


Only for amateurs.



Red Green is certainly no amateur! ;-)


No, he is a pro at screwing things up.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!

"Mike Tomlinson" wrote in message
...
In article , Jeff Liebermann
writes

They might melt and produce a plastic smell, but nothing
comparable to the cloud of smog produced by an electrolytic.

I've seen it happen. Several times. You clearly haven't.

I saw it with my own Viewsonic that I had to add caps across the line to
knock down the RFI from it. One went Blooooeee 4 years later. Anything
that smokes plastic or chars the board will stink the place up. The
degaussing circuit interacts with the line too.

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
s.com...
On 9/7/2009 10:54 AM Jeff Liebermann spake thus:

Replacing 2 electrolytics and some dubious parts fixed the TV.
However, there was still the hole in the case. I elected to leave it
because I didn't have replacment case parts. Managment did what
management does best (avoiding responsibility) and stuck me with the
job of explaining the hole to the customer. I was about 18 years old
at the time and did an impressive job of acting like an idiot. I
don't remember what lies I offered but I do recall that they didn't
work very well. So, I later glued a different colored piece of
plastic (or bakelite) cut from a dead TV case into the hole. The
customer was still grumbling, but paid the bill.

"Goddamn pimple-faced kid punched a goddamn *hole* in my teevee!"

Gee in HS electronics we used to wire up caps backwards in another guys
project or wire a small choke across the Bench power supply to see if anyone
was quick enough to yank all the wires out. Great fun.

One guy did that and when the instructor was overlooking as it was powered
up, wound up with a welt in his chest from the electrolytic.