What’s That Smell? Does Your Furnace Need Repair?

Your nose knows: The furnace needs some attention

If your furnace needs some TLC, you may notice signs that are pretty subtle and others that are more glaring. But if there’s a weird smell, however faint it may be, it’s wise to have it checked out by a professional.

It’s not supposed to smell. We promise.

No matter what your father-in-law or your grandpa’s been telling you, your furnace really isn’t supposed to smell. Furnaces don’t “just have a funky smell” as they get older, and if they do, they shouldn’t.

The good news is that an experienced energy professional with TF Complete Heating & Cooling can quickly figure out what’s going on, and get your furnace back on track or let you know whether your system is due for an upgrade.

What’s that smell?

There are several reasons your furnace could be letting off an odor, and most of them, you’ll want to get checked out on the double.

• Dusty or musty: Occasionally, like at the beginning of the cold season, your vents may be blowing a slight odor as the dirt in the dormant ductwork gets kicked up after settling between summer and fall. This dusty or musty smell with quickly dissipate over a few days, as the dirt or debris is heated and burns off, when the furnace gets going. So long as the smell goes away, you shouldn’t need to call in the pros.
• Dirty socks: Dirty socks stink because they’re growing bacteria, and if you smell the same odor coming from your furnace, it’s likely growing bacteria too. Yuck! This typically occurs when condensation builds up on your heater coils or your dirty air filter. An energy expert can easily clean your furnace coils and change your filter during an annual maintenance tune-up.
• Burning: Nobody wants to smell burning coming from their furnace – it smells like bad news, even to Grandpa! There are two common types of furnace burning smells:
  • Electrical burning is caused by overheating, which can melt the rubber and plastic components on your furnace, letting off a burnt tire smell. Worn bearings or a bad blower can also lead to a burning smell, and can even cause sparks, which smell like – you guessed it – fire.
  • Oil burning occurs only when you use heating oil in your system and can be caused by items or debris getting too close to your heater, or a malfunctioning burner that doesn’t use the heating oil properly. This can lead to smoke, oily fog, or even a fire.

  No matter what type of burning you smell, turn off your system to prevent fire, and call an energy expert right away to assess the problem.

• Rotten eggs or skunk smell: This smell means a gas leak, and you’ll need a professional on-site ASAP to inspect and fix the issue. Natural gas in naturally odorless, and it’s not harmful to the environment itself. But, it is not good to breathe it, and plus it’s combustible when not adequately contained in a safe tank. This is why manufacturers add an unpleasant odor to let people know a leak has occurred. If you smell the rotten egg odor, turn your heating system off and quickly leave the premises before calling 911 for help.
• Chemically, like formaldehyde: This strong smell is not only unpleasant, it’s also dangerous. That’s because it could indicate a broken heat exchanger, which can leak deadly carbon monoxide into your home, or cause a fire. Like in the case of a gas leak, you’ll need emergency service of your system.

Furnace problems stink, but TF Complete Heating & Cooling has your back, COMPLETELY!

TF Complete Heating & Cooling serves Bristol, Worcester, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties and the surrounding areas. If you smell something off with your furnace, contact us today to schedule a routine maintenance visit.

If you need an emergency repair, please contact us right away, and we will get to your home as soon as we can. We’re here for you!