The last thing that any homeowner want is to smell something rotten or foul when their furnace kicks on to heat their home. There are many different problems that can lead to a smelly furnace. With a little help from Hal Mechanical, you can understand what all these smells mean and what you may be dealing with when you smell them coming from your heating system.

Furnace Smells like Burning Rubber

The first time you turn on your furnace for the season, there is usually a dusty, burning smell that will flow from the vents. This is absolutely normal for a heating system that hasn’t been running for several months to smell like this this the first time it is turned on.

Metallic or Plastic Smell in House

There is a considerable amount of metal and plastic that makes up the working parts of your furnace. These parts are all made to withstand heat. However, as they get older, they may start to breakdown and overheat as the furnace is operating. If you ever smell something like plastic getting hot or even metal getting hot, it’s a sign that your furnace is overheating, and it should be turned off right away. A heating professional should definitely come and take a look at it.

Furnace Smells Musty

If you have mold or mildew growing in your home, it can be a significant health hazard. This is especially true for anyone that has upper respiratory problems to begin with. Most people know and recognize the smell or mold and mildew, so if you smell it coming from your vents, you know that you need to get to the bottom of it. This usually indicates that there is fungus growing somewhere in your ducts and a heating professional will need to help you find it.

Dirty Sock Syndrome

Everyone knows the smell; that smell of a locker room filled with dirty gym socks. No one wants to smell that in their home, ever. This can be an indication of bacteria growth on your system coils in your furnace. It can be easy to get rid of once you have professionals working on the problem.

Furnace Smells like Rotten Eggs or Sulfur

Many people can easily recognize the smell of natural gas because of the additive that is put in it to make this odorless gas have an odor. Is usually resembles rotten eggs or sulfur. You shouldn’t ever smell this and when you do, it usually means that you have a gas leak somewhere. This is dangerous and you need to turn the furnace off right away until the leak is fixed.

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If you have a problem with a foul smell coming from your furnace and don’t know what is causing it, you can call on Hal Mechanical to help you solve the problem and get your furnace back up and running in no time. We will respond quickly to your call. Call us today!