[Gregory Brown]

Gregory Brown on December 28, 2017 at 4:34 pm #18530

OK I will check that this weekend and let you know what I find out. I don’t recall seeing a whitish deposit but I was not looking for that.

[STEVE]

STEVE on December 28, 2017 at 11:24 am #18529

That added information helps.
Let’s review your heater system. The cabin heat system consists of a stainless steel cover that surrounds what looks like exhaust mufflers. Outside ram air is ducted into one end of the cover. After passing over and around the “muffler” where’s it’s heated, the air exits the other end of the stainless steel cover into a flexible orange “SCAT” tube. This tube is connected to the heat box.
Since you say that it’s occurred since you started using the heater, I suspect it a powder, or dust or something that is somewhere in the ducting, or been deposited on the “muffler” during maintenance.
One product that is used to detect cracks is quite similar to talcum powder. Is it possible that sometime since you last used the heater your maintenance people have used a “dye penetrant” type method to check for cracks?? If so, perhaps what you think is smoke is really just some of the developer for that crack detection tool.
Have you been able to feel some of the smoke?? Does it leave a whitish deposit?? If you rub it between your fingers does it feel like talcum powder??

[Gregory Brown]

Gregory Brown on December 28, 2017 at 10:41 am #18528

It is a PA-28 151. It looks like it is coming from under the dash or down by the floor. I do have a CO2 detector and it is not indicating any gases. The situation only happens on start up then goes away in 10-15 Min. More pronounced when I conduct the run-up. I am located in Virginia and the weather was 40 degrees when this occurred. Did not see this when flying in the summer, just when I started to use the heater

[STEVE]

STEVE on December 28, 2017 at 7:04 am #18524

Hi, can you tell me more? What type of Piper airplane do you have?
Where do you see the smoke? Is it coming from the firewall, or from the defroster vents? What is the weather like where you are?
Do you have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector? Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless but whenever anyone mentions smoke in the cabin I suggest they check for carbon monoxide.
You can get a relatively inexpensive CO detector at most hardware stores or from Amazon.

[Gregory Brown]

Gregory Brown on December 26, 2017 at 5:54 pm #18521

This has happened on the last 2 start ups. On the first start of the day I experience smoke in the cabin on run-up. The first time I checked and found nothing. After about 10 Min of operations no more smoke and everything is fine. It only happens on the first start of the day. the smoke is white but has no smell. Any Ideas on what this could be?