As the weather听cools down听and you听transition听from cooling to heating your home,听you might be听worried about听weird听furnace smells听in听the air.听Find out听what the most common furnace smells听mean听and how听proactive听you should be about听them.
The Furnace Smells Musty
Musty furnace听smells听generally听indicate听mold growth听somewhere听in the HVAC system. To avoid听exposing听your family to听mold and mildew spores,听tackle听this problem听right away.
A听wet听air filter can听lead to听mold, so听wiping out听the smell听can听be as听simple听as听replacing the听filter. If that听doesn't help, the AC evaporator coil听fastened听near the furnace听may听be听the culprit. This component听gathers听condensation, which听will sometimes听trigger听mold growth.听You'll be better off with听a professional’s help to听check听and clean the evaporator coil. When听the problem still won't go away,听take a look at听requesting听air duct cleaning. This service听removes听hidden mold,听regardless of听where听it's hiding听in your听ductwork.
The Furnace Smells Like听Spoiled听Eggs
This is one of the most听concerning听furnace smells听since听it听most likely听implies听a gas leak. The utility company听includes听a听special听substance听called听mercaptan to the natural gas supply to make leaks听easier to notice.
If you听notice听a rotten egg smell听around听your furnace or听out of听your听vents,听shut down听the heater听straightaway. If you听can find听where the main gas supply valve听is located, shut that off听also. Then,听leave the house听and听call听911,听in addition to听your gas company. Don’t听go back in听the house until a professional听tells you听it’s safe.
The Furnace Has a Sour Stench
If you听detect听a sour smell that stings your nose while听standing near听the furnace, this听may听mean the heat exchanger听has cracked. This听essential听component听safely contains听combustion fumes,听like听carbon monoxide, so听a cracked heat exchanger听may听allow听unsafe levels of CO gas into your home.
Carbon monoxide poisoning听could听be听fatal, so听turn听off your furnace听immediately听if you听notice听a sour odor. Then,听reach out to听an HVAC professional for an inspection. Consider听replacing your furnace听if a cracked heat exchanger is听the culprit. For your听health and听safety going forward,听see to it that听you have听working听CO detectors on听all floors听of your home.
The Furnace Smells Dusty
When you听turn on听the furnace for the first time听every fall, you听probably expect听a dusty odor to听fill the house听for a听brief moment. This is the smell of six months’ worth of dust听burning off听as the furnace wakes听from its summer slumber. As long as the smell听disperses听within听a day, you听have nothing听to worry about.
The Furnace Has a Smoky Smell
Natural gas, oil and propane furnaces are combustion appliances, so they vent fumes听up and out of your home. A smoky smell听could听mean the flue is听clogged, and now fumes are听settling back听into your home. The odor听might eventually reach听the entire house,听jeopardizing听your family’s health if you听ignore it. So听turn off听the furnace and听get in touch with听a professional听straightaway听to听schedule a听repair.
The Furnace听Smell Resembles听Burning Plastic
Overheating and听burned听electrical components are the most听plausible听reason for a burning plastic smell to听come from your furnace. A听faulty听fan motor is听also possible. If you don’t听address听the problem, an electrical fire听may听start, or your furnace听could experience听irreparable damage.听Turn off听the heating system听immediately听and听contact听an HVAC technician for help听diagnosing听and repairing this听unusual听furnace smell.
The Furnace Has an Oily Smell
If you听own听an听oil furnace, you听may听pick up on听this听odor听whenever听the oil filter becomes听blocked up. Try replacing it to听determine听if that听fixes听the problem. If the smell听persists听for听more than one day听after听carrying out听this step, it听may听indicate听an oil leak.听You should get听help from an HVAC听professional听to听address听this problem.
The Furnace听Reeks of听Sewer Odors
Sewer gas smells听pretty听similar to听rotten听eggs, so first听rule out听the听likelihood of听a natural gas leak. If that’s not the听source,听your home's听sewer lines听may听have an issue,听like听a dry trap or sewer leak.听Flush听water down听your own听drains, including the basement floor drain, to听fill听dried-up听sewer traps. If the smell听persists,听go ahead and听contact a听sewer line repair听company.
颁辞苍迟补肠迟听天美传媒听for Furnace Repair
When in doubt,听get in touch with听an HVAC technician to听examine听and repair your furnace. At 天美传媒, we听perform听comprehensive听diagnostic services to听determine听the problem before听repairs begin. Then, we听recommend听the most viable, cost-effective repairs,听along with听an up-front estimate for听every option. Our听ACE-certified technicians听can听handle听just about any heating听problem, and we back our work with a听天美传媒 Guarantee听for one year.听For details听about why your furnace smells bad or to request furnace repair near you, please听contact your local听天美传媒 office today.
