3 Furnace Odors That Indicate a Problem

When the furnace is running in your Winchester, Kentucky, home, you may catch a whiff of something strange, especially if it’s the first time you’ve turned it on for the season. While some smells coming through the HVAC system are normal, some are definitely more concerning.

Singed Electrical Wires

The familiar smell of electrical burning is never something you want to smell in your home. This odor usually occurs as a result of overheating within the furnace, which can happen if the wires are getting burned or rubber components are melting. If your furnace is brand new, you may smell this for a few days, but the odor should dissipate. Prolonged burning smells coming from the furnace are cause for concern and should be addressed by an HVAC technician.

Rotten Eggs

The smell of rotten eggs usually means that you have a gas leak. Natural gas doesn’t have a smell on its own, but the sulfur odor is added to make sure you know when you have a leak. If you’re standing right next to the furnace and smell it faintly, it’s probably not too concerning. However, if you catch a strong whiff of gas, shut off your furnace and call the gas company right away for instruction.

Mildew

A moldy odor coming from your vents often indicates excess moisture within the HVAC unit. This can happen when the humidity is high or if you’ve had a water leak and some of the water got into the ducts. Either way, it’s important to get it checked out since the dark and warm atmosphere of a furnace is an ideal place for mold to grow and spread quickly. Mold spores can decrease the air quality and cause allergic symptoms like headaches and congestion.

Strange odors coming from your furnace can indicate more serious problems, so it’s best to contact our technicians at Stivers HVAC Inc. at 859-226-0809 to find out what’s causing the smell and how to fix it.

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