As the weather cools down and you transition from cooling to heating your home, you might be worried about weird furnace smells in the air. Find out what the most common furnace smells mean and how proactive you should be about them.
The Furnace Smells Musty
Musty furnace smells generally indicate mold growth somewhere in the HVAC system. To avoid exposing your family to mold and mildew spores, tackle this problem right away.
A wet air filter can lead to mold, so wiping out the smell can be as simple as replacing the filter. If that doesn't help, the AC evaporator coil fastened near the furnace may be the culprit. This component gathers condensation, which will sometimes trigger mold growth. You'll be better off with a professional’s help to check and clean the evaporator coil. When the problem still won't go away, take a look at requesting air duct cleaning. This service removes hidden mold, regardless of where it's hiding in your ductwork.
The Furnace Smells Like Spoiled Eggs
This is one of the most concerning furnace smells since it most likely implies a gas leak. The utility company includes a special substance called mercaptan to the natural gas supply to make leaks easier to notice.
If you notice a rotten egg smell around your furnace or out of your vents, shut down the heater straightaway. If you can find where the main gas supply valve is located, shut that off also. Then, leave the house and call 911, in addition to your gas company. Don’t go back in the house until a professional tells you it’s safe.
The Furnace Has a Sour Stench
If you detect a sour smell that stings your nose while standing near the furnace, this may mean the heat exchanger has cracked. This essential component safely contains combustion fumes, like carbon monoxide, so a cracked heat exchanger may allow unsafe levels of CO gas into your home.
Carbon monoxide poisoning could be fatal, so turn off your furnace immediately if you notice a sour odor. Then, reach out to an HVAC professional for an inspection. Consider replacing your furnace if a cracked heat exchanger is the culprit. For your health and safety going forward, see to it that you have working CO detectors on all floors of your home.
The Furnace Smells Dusty
When you turn on the furnace for the first time every fall, you probably expect a dusty odor to fill the house for a brief moment. This is the smell of six months’ worth of dust burning off as the furnace wakes from its summer slumber. As long as the smell disperses within a day, you have nothing to worry about.
The Furnace Has a Smoky Smell
Natural gas, oil and propane furnaces are combustion appliances, so they vent fumes up and out of your home. A smoky smell could mean the flue is clogged, and now fumes are settling back into your home. The odor might eventually reach the entire house, jeopardizing your family’s health if you ignore it. So turn off the furnace and get in touch with a professional straightaway to schedule a repair.
The Furnace Smell Resembles Burning Plastic
Overheating and burned electrical components are the most plausible reason for a burning plastic smell to come from your furnace. A faulty fan motor is also possible. If you don’t address the problem, an electrical fire may start, or your furnace could experience irreparable damage. Turn off the heating system immediately and contact an HVAC technician for help diagnosing and repairing this unusual furnace smell.
The Furnace Has an Oily Smell
If you own an oil furnace, you may pick up on this odor whenever the oil filter becomes blocked up. Try replacing it to determine if that fixes the problem. If the smell persists for more than one day after carrying out this step, it may indicate an oil leak. You should get help from an HVAC professional to address this problem.
The Furnace Reeks of Sewer Odors
Sewer gas smells pretty similar to rotten eggs, so first rule out the likelihood of a natural gas leak. If that’s not the source, your home's sewer lines may have an issue, like a dry trap or sewer leak. Flush water down your own drains, including the basement floor drain, to fill dried-up sewer traps. If the smell persists, go ahead and contact a sewer line repair company.
Contact Service Experts for Furnace Repair
When in doubt, get in touch with an HVAC technician to examine and repair your furnace. At Service Experts, we perform comprehensive diagnostic services to determine the problem before repairs begin. Then, we recommend the most viable, cost-effective repairs, along with an up-front estimate for every option. Our ACE-certified technicians can handle just about any heating problem, and we back our work with a Service Experts Guarantee for one year. For details about why your furnace smells bad or to request furnace repair near you, please contact your local Service Experts office today.
