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Why Does My Furnace Smell?
Posted On: October 31, 2024
If your furnace has an unusual smell, it could be caused by a variety of issues. Here’s a breakdown of common furnace smells and what they might mean:
1. Burning Dust Smell
- Cause: If the furnace hasn’t been used for a while (like at the start of winter), dust will often accumulate on the heating components. When the furnace is turned on, the dust burns off, producing a distinctive smell.
- Solution: This is usually normal and should go away within a few hours. If it persists, replace or clean the air filter and vacuum around the furnace.
2. Musty or Mildew Smell
- Cause: Moisture can build up in the ductwork, leading to mold or mildew growth, especially if the furnace hasn’t been used in a while or if there is a humidity problem.
- Solution: Have a professional inspect and clean your ductwork. Consider using a dehumidifier in your home to control moisture levels.
3. Electrical or Metallic Burning Smell
- Cause: An electrical or metallic smell can indicate overheating of furnace components, often caused by worn-out parts, faulty wiring, or even a blower motor that is burning out.
- Solution: Shut off the furnace and call a technician, as electrical issues can be hazardous.
4. Rotten Egg or Sulfur Smell
- Cause: This smell typically indicates a natural gas leak, as utility companies add a sulfur-like odor to natural gas to make leaks easier to detect.
- Solution: Turn off the furnace immediately, leave your home, and contact your gas company or emergency services.
5. Oil or Smoky Smell
- Cause: If you have an oil furnace, a smoky smell could indicate incomplete combustion or an oil leak. It may also happen if the air filter or burner is dirty.
- Solution: Shut down the furnace and have it inspected, as burning oil or smoke can cause health issues.
6. Chemical Smell
- Cause: A chemical odor could indicate a cracked heat exchanger, which might allow carbon monoxide to leak into the air.
- Solution: This is a serious issue. Turn off your furnace, open windows, and have a professional inspect it right away.
Preventive Tips
- Change air filters regularly (every 1 to 3 months).
- Schedule an annual furnace tune-up to ensure safe and efficient operation.
- Check for any obvious blockages or leaks around the unit.
If you’re unsure about the smell or if it persists, calling a professional HVAC technician is the safest option.
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See What Our Customers Are Saying:
Apr 10, 2019
Had new furnace installed and ran into some difficulties but the contractor responded in a timely and efficient manner - after further service calls were made, a reasonable resolution was found.
Apr 8, 2019
The work was done quickly efficiently neatly and professionally. Pleased with the service, information, product, and the company.
Apr 1, 2019
Great sales member named Dave came in told us some amazing items and how they would be priced installed an all. We couldnt believe it! The next day the ac was installed, that day one employee named Greg told us that our furnace was working way to hard and was causing us to use way too much gas. So two days later they came in an installed a new furnace!
Apr 1, 2019
Installation was done quickly and professionally. The new furnace is quiet and provides even heat.
Mar 3, 2019
They removed and discarded old furnace. Installed new furnace. Installed air intake pipe, that had never been installed by builder, no charge. Replaced loose hose on floor with hard pipe and rerouted it to drain, no charge. Almost 33% cheaper then quote from Enercare, which was the company we dealt with and had insurance with for 8 years. No yearly fee for cleaning/insurance, saves 300 a year. Courteous, professional, fast, and friendly. My wife and I have been recommending them to everyone we know and meet, and will continue to do so. Thanks for everything, Twintech!!!
Mar 4, 2019
This company was great to deal with. Our furnace went down and they installed a new furnace the next day with a lot of professionalism!
Feb 22, 2019
Finally! An honest company with highly knowledgeable and informative staff. Had a furnace service and found multiply errors in our system from an amateur installer. Very fair price to correct problems and will definitely use again.
Feb 16, 2019
Had to replace the heating & a/c unit in a condo apartment dwelling. this company recommended by the property manager and president of the condo building. found their workmanship and attention to details very good and very thorough. were able to resolve small problems and situations and happy to feel the heat in my unit. it's pricey, but happy was done by a very professional service. thank you.
Feb 13, 2019
Fantastic team. Completed the job as per the specifications and in under 3 hours. Highly recommended Twintech.
Jan 30, 2019
During the summer, I previously hired TwinTech to replace my air conditioner when it failed. They did an excellent job so when I decided to proactively replace the furnace I contacted them. The furnace I had was 22 years old and showed signs of internal leakage. It still worked but rather than wait to have it fail in cold weather, I decided to purchase a higher efficiency model before it failed and take advantage of energy efficiency rebates. TwinTech offered very useful advice on the make and model of furnace to choose including high efficiency and variable speed motor. The price was reasonable, TwinTech arrived at the allotted time, installed the new furnace (including some re-routing of exhaust lines since the existing ones were too close to other vents), removed the old furnace, tested the installation and cleaned everything up. Overall, it was a good experience, they did a great job and the new furnace is working well.
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