When you first turn on your heating system after it has been off for a long time, you may notice a burning smell. Sometimes it is nothing serious and goes away on its own. However, what many people don’t know is that there is more than one type of smell that our furnaces can produce, and many of them shouldn’t be ignored.
Furnace Smells You Shouldn’t Ignore
There are more types of furnace smells than many people realize. The following are the most common types of furnace smells and what they mean:
- Burning – This usually happens when you first turn your heater on after it has been off for a while. It is generally just a sign that your furnace is dusty, and the burning smell is the smell of the dust getting burned off.
- Gas/Rotten Eggs – It can be normal for your heating system to produce a bit of a gas smell (can often smell like rotten eggs) when you first turn it on. However, if the gas smell is strong and continuous, that can be a sign of a serious problem. Until you figure out what is going on, you should turn your heater off. You should also turn off your home’s gas as well. After that, contact your gas company and an experienced furnace repair technician.
- Mildew – If it smells mildewy or musty when you turn on your heater, you may have mold or mildew growing in your HVAC system’s duct work. If you suspect this is the case, you should have an HVAC technician inspect your ducts and perform a duct cleaning if they discover mold and mildew in your duct work.
- Plastic/Rubber – If you smell burning rubber or plastic when your heater is on, this is often a sign of a problem with your electrical wiring, such as burning plastic wire casings. It could also mean that your heating system’s motor is overheating, or your furnace’s heat exchanger is cracked. If you suspect any of these are the case, you should turn off your heating system and contact an HVAC repair specialist as soon as possible.
Furnace Problems? Let Our Experienced Furnace Maintenance and Repair Experts in Northwest Indiana and South Chicagoland Help
For over 70 years, Meyer’s has been one of Northwest Indiana and South Chicagoland’s go-to furnace installation, maintenance, and repair services. At Meyer’s, we are proud to offer our customers high quality service for affordable prices. We also offer coupons and financing options. Plus, we’re available 24/7 for emergency HVAC services.
For more information about Meyer’s, and how we’ve helped homeowners solve their furnace problems, check out our customers’ reviews.
To learn more about what to do if your furnace is giving you problems, give us a call at (219) 240-0610 or get in touch with us online today.
