Here in Roanoke, VA the cool weather is coming soon and it’s almost time to turn on the heat. Sometimes you may smell an unusual odor when you turn your heat on for the first time during the fall, but don’t be alarmed! There may be a good reason for the smell.
You may smell a dusty, burning odor, but the odor may vary depending on your heat source.
Heat Pumps and Electric Furnaces
- Heat pumps and electric furnaces have electric resistance heaters in the air handler portion of your heating system. Since they haven't been used since the last heating season, they may have a buildup of dust residue on the electric coils. The first time the coils turn on, this dust will burn off creating a dusty and burning smell. This should not last long and the odor will go away on its own. This is usually a normal and harmless annual occurrence.
Gas or Oil Furnace
- If you have a gas or oil furnace, this odor can occur as well and will also burn off. Though it often occurs more with heat pump systems, fossil fuel furnaces can have additional and more concerning odors. If you smell “rotten eggs” or sulfuric odors, then you need to shut your furnace off and call for a professional to inspect your furnace. While natural gas itself is odorless, the utility companies add the “egg like” odor to make it detectable. This could indicate a serious problem and potentially even a gas leak.
What About Other Smells From My HVAC System?
- If you smell a musty or mildew odor, you could have a build up of bacteria. If this occurs on the furnace’s heat exchanger, it will burn it off quickly. Heat pumps with this odor require different solutions to mitigate the problem.
- Another odor that can occur on any type of HVAC equipment is the smell of burning plastic. This usually indicates some type of electrical component or wiring issue and you will need to call for a technician to inspect and repair this.
Enjoy the Fall in the Roanoke Valley and everything it has to offer without having to worry about your HVAC. An annual Fall maintenance usually finds the causes of these odors and solves most of the problems before you need to depend on the system to keep you comfortable. Enjoy 10% off your next service by joining our Complete Comfort Care today!
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