In our climate, you really want to know you can rely on your heat when the winter winds start to blow. When you first need it in the fall, and every time after that, you want warm comfort, not worries and repairs! One thing that can sometimes cause major concern is when a heating system makes an odd odor.
A furnace may smell for a variety of reasons. Does it signal a serious problem? Sometimes, it’s extremely serious. But other times, it’s nothing to worry about. How can you tell whether a smell from your heating system means you need furnace repair? Here are some helpful pointers for you.
Dust
The first time you turn your heating system on in the fall, it will heat up and scorch any dust that is in and on the system. If you’ve had routine maintenance done this fall, it’s much less likely to happen, and if it does—because of dust elsewhere in your HVAC system—it won’t be as severe.
If you do smell this, it’s not really a malfunction that requires repair. What it needs is fresh air! Open your windows, even though it’s chilly out, and you should notice that the smell is gone within an hour or so. You’ve only got a problem if the smell doesn’t go away, or if it smells like something besides dust is burning.
Overheating
When you smell something more like scorched metal or burning plastic, it’s likely that you’ve got an overheating component. This is most likely to be the motor that powers the blower fan. Prompt repairs could ensure that the motor can be fixed. Continuing to overheat it by postponing repairs could lead to a totally burned-out motor that has to be replaced! If you’re concerned that you might be having this issue, schedule repair right away.
Electrical Fire
Here’s a trivia question for you. What do dead fish and electrical fires have in common? The answer is that they both discharge ammonia into the air. That means they have a very similar smell. If you haven’t got any dead fish lying around, but it smells like you do, your issue is serious.
Start by turning off the heating system entirely. Don’t just switch off the thermostat: actually shut down the furnace. Then call for emergency repairs. An electrical fire is a terrifying risk that you do not need to take. Don’t turn the heat on again until the repairs are complete.
Gas Leak
This calls for a trivia question, too: what does natural gas smell like? The answer is absolutely nothing! So how will you detect an odor if you’ve got a gas leak? That’s thanks to an additive, mercaptan, which gives gas its distinctive, eggy odor.
A smell of gas in your home is an emergency. Shut off the furnace, or all gas to the house, if you can do it quickly and easily. But most importantly, evacuate. Bring family members and pets to a safe location and call your natural gas provider’s emergency number or 911.
If you have any other questions about odd odors or furnace repair in Winnetka, IL, we’re happy to help!
Contact ServiceMax with any questions about your heating system.