5 Furnace Odors And What They Mean
This is never something to ignore, even if it seems to be a very faint smell. An odd odor often indicates failure or damage to the unit.
To help keep your family safe, make yourself aware of the most common smells a furnace makes and the causes behind them. If you’re from the area, and your furnace is emitting any of these smells, contact a heating and cooling company in Buffalo, NYright away!
1. Rotten Eggs
Natural gas is highly flammable, which makes it a great fuel source for the appliances in your home. Unfortunately, natural gas can be extremely dangerous to your health. When inhaled, it can cause irregular breathing, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue.
Natural gas has no distinct odor, so gas companies often add the chemical “mercaptan” as a safety measure. This is a sulfur-based chemical that emits the smell of rotten eggs when natural gas is present.
If your furnace is releasing a rotten egg or sulfur odor, this is a good indicator that you have a gas leak. A gas leak can be very dangerous to your health, so it is important to take it seriously. Never try to fix this issue yourself, rather, give Cellino Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling a call and leave the property until you know it is safe to enter again.
2. Dirty Socks
Although you may never expect this type of odor to come from your furnace, it is actually a very common sign that your furnace needs to be cleaned. This smell occurs when bacteria build up on the coils in the unit. The coils start to cool down as the weather outside gets colder. They then reheat when you turn up the thermostat. This continuous cycle between warm and cool often causes a condensation buildup, which then leads to bacteria growth.
The best way to get rid of this dirty smell coming from your furnace is to have the unit cleaned. The first thing to do is replace the air filter and clean the evaporator coils with a non-acid cleaner. If the odor remains after you do those things, you may need to call one of our HVAC experts to thoroughly clean your air ducts and the rest of your unit.
3. Electrical Burning
When your furnace emits an electrical or metallic smell, is it a good indicator that your furnace is overheating.
As your furnace ages, worn bearings may cause the blower motor to seize up. This requires your furnace to use additional electricity to push through the resistance. The additional voltage can cause excessive heat buildup in the motor, which can actually melt away wire insulation. The furnace will then start to produce sparks that emit this metallic odor.
If this problem is not taken care of, these sparks and melted wires can start a fire in your home. If you ever smell this type of odor coming from your furnace, it is best to turn off the unit and call a professional for help.
4. Diesel or Burning Oil
There are several reasons why your furnace could give off a burning oil smell. If your furnace is located in a basement or storage area, you may have items such as clothes, toys, or blankets, that are stored above/near the unit. If one of these items were to fall too close to the pilot light, it could catch fire or melt. This will create a smokey smell throughout the home.
If you own an oil furnace, your unit might not ignite all the oil that passes through the burner. Instead, the leftover oil will create a fog that smells like a diesel engine. If that fog ignites, it could result in a large fire.
If you recently filled the oil tank for the furnace, any overflow may give off an odor. This smell should go away after a few days. However, if the smell continues, this may be an oil leak.
If you can not determine why your furnace smells like burning oil, call us today! We would be happy to send an experienced technician to inspect your unit.
5. Dust
If your furnace has not been turned on in a while, it may create a dusty or damp smell. This odor will most likely be very strong for the first couple uses, but will disappear with time.
This smell occurs when dust and dirt build up inside the unit and in your air ducts. As your furnace heats up, the dust will start to burn and emit a smoke smell. This smell may seem alarming, however, it does not indicate damage to your system.
If this smell continues, your furnace may have a clogged filter. It is important to inspect and replace your air filter regularly.
Your Sense of Smell Can Detect When You Need a Repair
Evidently, your nose can actually hint at you when you have a broken furnace. If you start to smell any of these odors, don’t hesitate to call a heating and cooling company in Buffalo, NY. At Cellino Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, our HVAC experts can repair your furnace in no time! Even if the smell coming from your furnace is not one listed above, you should still have a professional check your unit to ensure that it is functioning properly.
