Why Your Furnace Has a Strange Smell
As the weather gets colder and you transition from cooling to heating your home, you may be worried about strange furnace smells floating in the air. Find out what the most common furnace smells mean and how concerned you should be about them.
The Furnace Smells Musty
Musty furnace odors almost always imply mold growth someplace in the HVAC system. To avoid subjecting your family to these microorganisms, tackle this problem as soon as possible.
A wet air filter can encourage mold, so eliminating the smell might be as straightforward as replacing the filter. If that doesn’t work, the AC evaporator coil fastened near the furnace may be the culprit. This component collects condensation, which can trigger mold growth. You’ll want a professional’s help to check and clean the evaporator coil. When this still doesn’t help, take a look at requesting air duct cleaning. This service eliminates hidden mold, regardless of where it’s growing in your ventilation.
The Furnace Smells Like Spoiled Eggs
This is one of the most concerning furnace smells due to the fact that it most likely indicates a gas leak. The utility company adds a useful substance known as mercaptan to the natural gas supply to make leaks easier to notice.
If you detect a rotten egg smell around your furnace or out of your air ducts, shut down the heater straightaway. If you can find where the main gas supply valve is, shut that off also. Then, leave the house and contact 911, as well as your gas company. Don’t go back in the house until a professional tells you it’s safe.
The Furnace Has a Sour Stench
If you detect a sour smell that stings your nose while standing near64} the furnace, this may mean the heat exchanger is cracked. This vital component safely contains68} combustion fumes, such as carbon monoxide, so cracks could pump unsafe levels of CO gas into your home.
Carbon monoxide poisoning could be lethal, so shut off your furnace as soon as possible if you notice a sour odor. Then, reach out to an HVAC professional for an inspection. Consider replacing your furnace if a cracked heat exchanger is to blame. For your continued safety going forward, see to it that you have working CO detectors on every floor of your home.
The Furnace Smells Dusty
When you start the furnace for the first time after a while, you probably expect a dusty odor to show up for a few minutes. This is the smell of six months’ worth of dust burning away as the furnace wakes from its summer slumber. As long as the smell dissipates within 24 hours, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
The Furnace Has a Smoky Smell
Natural gas, oil and propane furnaces are combustion appliances, so they vent fumes to the exterior. A smoky smell will sometimes mean the flue is clogged, and now fumes are flowing back into your home. The odor may permeate the entire house, endangering your family’s health if you ignore it. So turn off the furnace and contact a professional straightaway to schedule a repair.
The Furnace Smell Resembles Burning Plastic
Overheating and melted electrical components are the most plausible reason for a burning plastic smell to come from your furnace. A faulty fan motor is also possible. If you don’t address the problem, an electrical fire could start, or your furnace could experience irreparable damage. Turn off the heating system as soon as possible and call an HVAC technician for help identifying and repairing this weird furnace smell.
The Furnace Has an Oily Smell
If you own an oil furnace, you could pick up on this stench whenever the oil filter becomes clogged. Try replacing it to determine if that fixes the problem. If the smell persists for more than a day after completing this step, it could indicate an oil leak. You’ll need help from an HVAC specialist to fix this problem.
The Furnace Smells Like Sewer Odors
Sewer gas smells pretty similar to rotting eggs, so first eliminate the likelihood of a natural gas leak. If that’s not the problem, your sewer lines may have an issue, such as a dry trap or sewer leak. Flush water down your own drains, including the basement floor drain, to refresh dry sewer traps. If the smell sticks around, you should contact a sewer line repair company.
Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for Furnace Repair
If you’re still unsure, get in touch with an HVAC technician to check and repair your furnace. At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we deliver comprehensive diagnostic services to determine the problem before we figure out the best solution. Then, we recommend the most viable, cost-effective repairs, alongside an up-front estimate for all options. Our ACE-certified technicians can manage just about any heating repair, and we back our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee for one year. To ask questions about why your furnace smells bad or to request furnace repair near you, please contact your local Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office today.
