Your furnace shouldn’t emit any bad odors. If it does, that’s cause for concern and deserves your immediate attention. Below you will find a list of odors your furnace might emit and what can cause the smell.
Something Burning
You might smell a strong odor of dust or something burning when you first use the furnace after months of not operating it. This is because when your furnace doesn’t get any use, dust and debris can accumulate on the inside. But once the furnace is on and running, the dust burns off and the smell should go away.
If the smell sticks around, there’s possibly a more serious problem. In the future, you might want an HVAC service technician to perform maintenance on the furnace before first using it after a period of inactivity.
Rotten Eggs or Sulfur
If your gas furnace smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, there’s possibly a gas leak. While natural gas doesn’t emit any odors, companies add chemicals to the gas to make it stink during a leak.
Gas leaks are terribly dangerous. If your furnace smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, turn off the system and leave the area. Contact your local HVAC, gas, and heating installation companies to report the situation and repair the underlying problem.
Musty Scent
A furnace with a musty smell might have a biological growth inside it or the ductwork. This can happen if moisture is stuck in the system and it creates a moist environment for certain microbial growths.
Chemical Smell
If the furnace heat exchanger has a crack, it might emit a chemical-like smell. Maybe it will smell similar to a strong cleaning product or a sharp, pungent and slightly sweet odor. Address this issue as soon as possible because a heat exchanger with a crack can lead to a life-threatening carbon monoxide leak.
Your furnace shouldn’t make your home smell bad. Contact Esser Air Conditioning and Heating so we can help determine why your furnace smells bad.
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