After your furnace has been sitting idle for several months, when you first turn on the heat, the heating system in your home likely will emit a strange burning odor. In most cases, the odors are nothing to worry about, but in some cases, a strange smell may indicate a system problem. The following guide will help you determine the source of the odor, and help you to decide if you should have the system inspected by a professional:
- Dusty Smell: If it smells like an old dusty attic when you first turn on the heat, it’s usually either dust burning off the heat exchanger, or dust that has collected in the air ducts being heated up and blown out of the system. In either case, the smell should dissipate within an hour or two, and it’s not typically harmful, though it may irritate those with asthma or other breathing conditions. Make sure the system’s air filter is not dirty or clogged, and if the smell persists, call a professional for a full system inspection.
- Musty Smell: This typically indicates that there is some mold present in the air filter, air ducts or elsewhere in the system. Make sure that the air filter is clean, and if the system includes a humidifier, check its filter as well. Clean the heat registers and any accessible ducts, as well as the condensate drain and drain pain, if applicable. If the smell does not go away within a day or two after the heat is first turned on, consider having a professional inspect the system, and possibly clean the air ducts as well. Certain types of mold can cause significant health problems.
- Burned Plastic Smell: Check the air ducts for foreign objects, especially at floor registers where objects may easily fall into the ducts. If none are found, call a professional, as there may be a system problem, such as an overheating motor or electrical connection.
If you are having problems after you first turn on the heat in your Twin Cities home, call our home heating experts at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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