The weather has changed from the nice warm months to the cold of the winter. The winter months means the temperature drops and the heater, furnace or boiler is in full effect. This is what is used to heat a home to make it livable for you and your family. When it is cold outside you need to have a place to get out of the weather and be comfortable. When your heating unit is having trouble running or working it is best to have it inspected and repaired. One common complaint that is received when people are using their heating unit is that the unit smells weird. Your heating unit should not have any smell when it is running or not. If there is a smell that you can identify is coming from the heating unit, it is best to have it shut off and looked at by a professional HVAC company.
NY NJ AC Connection Outlines Furnace Smells & What They Mean
Furnace Smells Like Burning Dust: This is the most common type of smell that people get when they are using the heating system. The smell is usually from the dust that has accumulated on the system while it was not being used. Then when the winter hits and you start up the furnace or heating system that same dust now heats up as well and can smell like burning dust. This is common and really is not a problem or any reason to have concern. It should only happen when you first start using the unit and will stop after the first one or two times. You can keep an eye on the unit to ensure that the smell does not get worse or change to an electrical burning smell. If the smell changes or does not stop after a short amount of time it is best to call out a professional.
Furnace Smells Like Burning Plastic: When you start the unit it is best to be in the home for some time to make sure that there are not any smells to have concern about. Another smell that is common is the smell of burning plastic. The unit is supposed to work without any smells. The wires are a part of the unit and are usually installed in a safe area to stay away from being burned. The wires can potentially become jarred loose or move so that they are too close to the heating element. When this happens the electrical part of the unit can start to malfunction. It is best to immediately turn off the unit and have it repaired before attempting to use it again.
Furnace Smells Like Rotten Eggs or Gas: There are some people that don’t know that natural gas is used to heat many homes. They gas has no odor or color but can be extremely dangerous if there is a leak. What the gas companies do is add odor to the gas in the instance there is a leak you have an alert. When it comes to gas leaks the smell you will often get is rotten eggs! That will wake you up. The smell is not good and the best thing you can do is turn off the unit and air out the house while you wait for repairs to be done.
Furnace, Boiler & Heating System Repairs & More in Manhattan, New York
NY NJ AC Connection offers expert heating and cooling services. Contact us to schedule an inspection, tune up or other furnace or boiler service today.
