Kayla Young
So, you’ve been blow drying your hair, and then all of a sudden you notice something different. Your nose has been activated and you smell something burning. You run to the kitchen to see if you’ve left a pot on the stove that you forgot about.
And then you realize that the burning smell is coming from the blow dryer itself!
What is going on?
Why does my blow dryer smell like it’s burning? It’s (probably) not your hair. But you shouldn’t ignore the smell!
Read on to find out why this may be happening and what you can do about it.
Contents
Why Does My Blow Dryer Smell Like It’s Burning?
If your blow dryer has all of a sudden started giving off a burning smell, then this is something that you shouldn’t ignore. Although this situation could in fact be benign, it may also be the case that there’s something more serious going on, which could result in a fire.
And that’s something you definitely don’t want to happen.
If you’ve been using your blow dryer in accordance with the instructions that were included with it, then you may be pulling your hair out trying to figure out why this is happening to you.
If your blow dryer has all of a sudden started giving off a burning smell, then this is something that you shouldn’t ignore. Although this situation could in fact be benign, it may also be the case that there’s something more serious going on, which could result in a fire.
So, why does your blow dryer smell like it’s burning? Well, there are several reasons why this may be occuring, including:
1. Your Device Is Brand New
The first few times that you use a blow dryer, the plastic materials and electronic components in the device will evaporate their volatile organic compounds when heated.
This evaporation process will give off a specific burning odor, which will eventually not happen after you’ve used your blow dryer a few times.
Therefore, this is something that you probably needn’t worry about.
2. The Ventilation Grille Or Filter Is Clogged
On the back of your blow dryer, there’s probably a grille that can trap lint, dust, pet hair, your hair, and even small insects, in order to keep them away from the motor in the barrel of the dryer.
This can become clogged over time if it isn’t cleaned on a regular basis.
If it is clogged, then this scenario means the airflow will be restricted. And if this happens, then it can give off a burning smell every time the blow dryer is in use, because the hot hair will actually burn whatever is caught in it.
You’ll need to fix this by cleaning the grille.
The easiest way to clean your ventilation grille is to take off the cover, and use an old toothbrush to scrub away the lint and dirt that has accumulated.
This should remedy the situation.
However, if you still smell burning the next time that you turn your blow dryer on, then you’ll need to open the body and remove any trapped hair or dust that has made its way past the actual grille.
You may even want to use a vacuum cleaner to do this.
3. You Have An Old Blow Dryer
If you’re using an old blow dryer that has been in your bathroom cupboard or bedroom drawer for a long time, then it won’t work as efficiently as it should, and will draw more electricity from your outlets than normal.
This can cause your device to overheat and give off a smell of burning plastic.
If this is the case, then the internal components are probably defective and you’ll have to replace your blow dryer with a newer model. Pour out your purse for the Dyson, or go a little cheaper and try the T3 Cura!
4. The Components Are Defective
Sometimes it’s the case that the outer plastic shell of your blow dryer, or its power cord, has started to melt due to overheating of the device over time.
This means that there is a fault in either the ventilation or the blow dryer’s temperature control system, which is specifically a problem with older devices.
If this is the case, then the only solution will be to throw it out and replace it with a newer model.
If you don’t then there is a risk of getting an electric shock, but you could also end up starting a fire and burning your house down.
If you don’t then there is a risk of getting an electric shock, but you could also end up starting a fire and burning your house down.
Future Perfect
In order to stop the burning smell from happening again, there are a few simple things that you can do.
For starters, make sure that you keep the ventilation grille free from obstruction. So you may need to get that old toothbrush out to remove any hair or dust after each use.
Next, if you’re using your blow dryer for more than 20 minutes at a time, then you should use the cold setting as much as possible to lower the temperature of the motor and internal components. This will help your blow dryer (and your hair) not overheat.
This is just good practice in general for your hair.
Finally, if your hair dryer is an older model that doesn’t have modern cooling technology, then make sure that you allow the air to escape from the nozzle freely.
Therefore, you should leave at least six inches between your hair brush and the nozzle to prevent overheating of the device.
A Burning Issue
Why does your blow dryer smell like it’s burning?
Well, we’ve now shown you the most common reasons why this may be happening to your device. More often than not, all you’ll have to do to fix this situation is clean the ventilation grille, which will get rid of the problem.
But you shouldn’t ignore it!
Make sure that you do as we’ve suggested so that you can enjoy blow drying your hair without having to worry about whether or not you’re going to burn your house down!
