Oh, no, something stinks. Is that your furnace? When a bad smell drifts to your nose every time the heat is on, don’t ignore it. There could be a serious problem. So what is wrong with your heating system? Do all heating system odors mean that furnace repairs are needed? We’ll break things down for you, so you can make the right choice.
Did You Just Start the Furnace?
The first time a furnace gets turned on after many months of disuse, it would be best if it had just gotten professional maintenance done. That would ensure that dust and mess would be cleaned out and lubricant would be reapplied.
What if there was no maintenance done? Maybe you decided to skip it, or maybe you scheduled it, but the weather got cold before your appointment and you needed to use the heat. Then a smell of scorched dust filled the house! As long as the smell dissipates within an hour or so with some open windows, repairs are probably not needed. But make sure you prioritize maintenance!
Does It Smell Like Burnt Plastic or Hot Metal?
The blower fan in your heating system is powered by a motor. If for some reason that motor is overheating, it can cause these sorts of odors. When a motor continues to overheat, it can trigger the limit switch and shut down the system, or even get so hot that the wiring literally fuses together! If that happens, the motor can no longer be repaired—it will have to be replaced. Get it fixed before that happens!
Does It Smell Like Fish?
Both decaying fish and electrical fire produce ammonia. This means they smell similar! And an electrical fire is very dangerous. If you smell fish when you haven’t been cooking any, turn your heating system off immediately. For safety reasons, you need emergency heating repairs, and you need to keep the heat turned off until it gets professional attention.
Does It Smell Like Eggs?
Natural gas has no odor. This could be terrifying—how could you tell if there was a gas leak, if it’s not just invisible but also odorless? Don’t worry; your natural gas has had something added to give it a distinctive, eggy odor. This substance is called mercaptan, and will make it very noticeable if you’ve got a gas leak.
What should you do if you smell that? If it’s quick and easy to shut off the gas, go ahead, but do not spend time trying to figure out how to do that. Instead, gather your family and pets and get out of your home. From a safe distance, call for help. Who should you call? Either your gas company’s emergency line or 911.
When you need furnace repair in Lubbock, TX, you can count on us. And don’t forget about that annual maintenance!
JD’s Prompt Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning serves the Lubbock area. Contact us for all your heating maintenance and repair needs.