I'd like to know if anyone out there has had an experience similar to ours. Notable points are these.
- Verizon installed FIOS equipment in our recently purchased condo on 12/6/13 (Phone and Internet).
- We moved in 1 week later and noticed a smell in the bedroom where the requirpment was located. The problem was serious because my wife has bad asthma and allergies and is very sensitive to air contaminnants.
- We didn't realize until months later that the smell was coming from outgassing of the FIOS equipment.
- We did tests to confirm the hypothesis. First, we removed the router and did without internet for a week. The odor decreased. Next we removed everything (wireless router, fiber connection box, battery back up box) and went without internet and phone for a week. The smell went away almost completely, except for a lower level lingering odor from fabric in the room that had gotten permeated.
- The equipment showed no sign of technical malfunction. The Internet and Phone worked fine.
- I contacted Verizon 3 times in search of a solution (once by chat, twice by phone). I was particularluy wondering if they could replace our current requipment with someting 1 to 2 years older which might ahve stopped outgassing. None of the consultants could provide a solution.
- In the end, we decided we'd have to terminate the FIOS service and replace it with Comcast XFinity for the sake of my wife's health.
- By now, the FIOS equipment has been out of the unit for several weeks. We've been airing out fairly diligently and the smell is almost completely gone. My wife is breathing better.
- I had concluded that this out-gassing must be characteristic of all instances of the current generation of FIOS equipment. But then I visited a neighbor's unit where he has what appears to be the same generation of equipment as we had in his living room. There was no detectable smell.
I don't know the techincal explanation for what we experienced. But the lack of a solution from Verizon meant that we had to abandon our use of FIOS. In my contacts with Verizon I was told several times that they had never heard of this outgassing and odor problem. But I can't believe we're the only people who've experienced it. I'd ben interested to hear from anyone who has.
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@sonet123 wrote:I’ve had this out gassing for near a month now. I was hoping it would pass, the smell is like burnt electronics I had that router stacked on top of the DVR box flat at first. Then tried a couple weeks with router upright on to the DVR still smells. This evening got real close and sniffed the router it’s the bottom of the router the end where the power plug goes. Note there isn’t any real heat coming from the DVR bow cool to the touch. this give me like that headachy type smell. Some time not so much (if I have a fan circulating the air in that room).
I’m going to report this to the FIOS people by tomorrow.
Burnt electronics smell is not the same as an out-gassing smell. I'd unplug it and call Verizon immediately. Electrical fires are serious business.
Really? I find that very hard to believe. Enjoy your Comcat and their dracronian bandwidth cap.
Unusal condition unless there was a problem with the equipment.
Can you describe the smell? Does it actually smell like gasoline? Or, is it that rotten egg smell like stove gas?
Why not put the equipment in a different room. Or put in a plastic bag?
The only smell I have ever noticed is if you block the air vents on the equipment then you will get a smell from over heating. Otherwise I have never noticed any odors.
Not sure I can say what the deal is with this one. Perhaps the "New Equipment getting warm" smell accumulating from the addition of several boxes?
So no one on this board has every had this experience. Strange. The nose doesn't lie. Must have been some unusual condition of the equipment.
Hi - we had a similar problem with our new Verizon FIOS router. The room had a chemical smell, almost like a pesticide or something. We did everything to deodorize the room and then figured out that the smell was coming from the router. The technician I spoke with tonight thought it was probably a burnt capacitor and immediately sent a replacement router. We'll give it a try.
I don't remember any on the Verizon equipment, but lots of electronics get shipped with thin plastic protective strips on them. Often slightly blue. If you notice any, pull them off.
I’ve had this out gassing for near a month now. I was hoping it would pass, the smell is like burnt electronics I had that router stacked on top of the DVR box flat at first. Then tried a couple weeks with router upright on to the DVR still smells. This evening got real close and sniffed the router it’s the bottom of the router the end where the power plug goes. Note there isn’t any real heat coming from the DVR bow cool to the touch. this give me like that headachy type smell. Some time not so much (if I have a fan circulating the air in that room).
I’m going to report this to the FIOS people by tomorrow.
@sonet123 wrote:I’ve had this out gassing for near a month now. I was hoping it would pass, the smell is like burnt electronics I had that router stacked on top of the DVR box flat at first. Then tried a couple weeks with router upright on to the DVR still smells. This evening got real close and sniffed the router it’s the bottom of the router the end where the power plug goes. Note there isn’t any real heat coming from the DVR bow cool to the touch. this give me like that headachy type smell. Some time not so much (if I have a fan circulating the air in that room).
I’m going to report this to the FIOS people by tomorrow.
Burnt electronics smell is not the same as an out-gassing smell. I'd unplug it and call Verizon immediately. Electrical fires are serious business.
I just had FiOS installed yesterday and YES there is an awful, toxic smell coming from the modem/ router euipment.
Nothing is over-heated, but these companies outsource all there equipment production to China or who knows where and the stuff gest lubed/ sprayed/ maufacturered with X,Y and Z - none of which is healthy (or probably legal in the US.
I am calling now for new equipment replacement as my wife is pregnant and toxic smells are not good.
Verizon needs to fix this problem before someone lab tests their equipment
I have had several new rotuers from Verizon and never had an issue.
And I don't remember anyone else posting that they have had this issue.
What model router is it BTW?
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