Your furnace should operate fairly quietly and with minimal impact on your family’s daily life. One common problem that homeowners have with their furnace, however, is unusual heating system odors. Unusually smells are a sign that something’s not quite right with the system. Here are four common heating system odors and what they could mean for your home:
1. Electrical Smells
If you smell something that smells electrical or like the system is overheating, it could be because the motor is working too hard. Check to ensure the furnace filter hasn’t gotten clogged. If that is not the issue, you will want to get a pro to look at the system.
2. Burning Odor
When you first turn the heating system on in the fall, you will probably smell a burning odor. This is normal, because the heating elements have a thin layer of dust on them that has to burn off before it can function. If this smell continues, it can be something else, but don’t worry about those first few odors at the start of the heating season.
3. Rotten Egg Smell
Natural gas is odorless, so utility providers often add a scent to it that is similar to rotten eggs. If you smell this, open the windows to your home, leave your home and call your gas company. Natural gas leaks are incredibly dangerous and need to be addressed right away.
4. Musty Smells
Musty smells occur when condensation from the air conditioner doesn’t drain properly, allowing moisture in the system. This moisture will cause mold buildup. Even though this problem is from your air conditioning system, your heating system can circulate the mold and contribute to the odor. Cleaning the moisture and fixings the condensation problem will clear up this problem. This is not a serious problem, but it does hurt your indoor air quality so it should be addressed.
If you are dealing with heating system odors in your Corpus Christi home, it can indicate a serious problem is brewing. Contact the team at CCAC for expert help with finding and eliminating the problem.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about your HVAC system, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.