As we get ready to make the switch from cooling our homes to heating, it is important that your furnace is ready for the task at hand. This means that homeowners need to be aware of signs that there is something amiss with their furnace. One of the ways that they can determine this is by strange odors that might be present when the furnace kicks on. Hal Mechanical is here to talk about some of the strange odors that you may smell when your furnace turns on and whether or not you should be worried about them.
Why Does My Gas Furnace Stink?
There are several odors that can be present when your furnace turns on to heat your home. Some are more worrisome than others. Here are the most common smells you may find.
– Burning Dust: The most common smell that is associated with a furnace is burning dust. You more than likely have smelt it before. It happens when you’re turning your furnace on for the first time. The dust that has settles on the furnace over the summer months will need to burn off for a few minutes when it turns on for the first time. This should only be there for a couple of minutes before the smell goes away.
– Burning Plastic: This is usually a smell that homeowners will experience when they have recently replaced their furnace. When you have a new furnace, there may be a small bit of plastic that could be found on the furnace still. As it gets hot, you may smell burning plastic. This isn’t a smell that would be present if you have an older unit in your home though. If that is the case, it could be a more serious issue that you’re dealing with. You might have parts that are overheating inside the unit. You could also have an electrical issue that is concerning as well.
– Rotten Eggs: The thing about natural gas is that it is colorless and odorless. If you have smelt natural gas, you are actually smelling an additive that gives it that odor so that you can easily find a gas leak. If you have a gas leak in your home, it puts you at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. This is serious and can be very deadly. You will need to have that leak fixed as soon as possible with the help of emergency personnel and your HVAC company. Once they have deemed the home safe, you will be able to go back into the home.
Heating Repairs, Tune Ups, Replacement & More in Aliante, Centennial, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Lone Mountain Village, North LV, Peccole Ranch, Paradise, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, Tuscany Village, Whitney, Winchester & Las Vegas Nevada
If you smell something off when you first turn on your furnace this fall and are concerned about it, you can rely on Hal Mechanical to get to the bottom of the problem to ensure your home is safe and that your furnace is ready to keep you warm this winter. There is no problems that is too large for us to handle. Call us today!
