What Does That Furnace Odor Mean?

December 19, 2019 12:12 am Published by Leave your thoughts

You expect to feel nice, warm air when you turn your furnace on—you don’t expect your nose to get hit with an overwhelming odor in the process. Bad smells emanating from your furnace aren’t just abnormal—they’re potentially signs of serious furnace issues in Mabank, TX. This post will cover a few of the most notable odors and their meanings:

  • Rotten eggs: Natural gas is both highly combustible and affordable, making it an excellent choice for powering furnaces. Since it’s also naturally odorless, gas companies add a sulfur-based chemical to the gas as a safety precaution against leaks. If you notice a smell of sulfur (or rotten eggs), be sure to call a furnace technician as soon as possible to find the leak and fix it.
  • Dirty socks: The smell of a locker room coming from your furnace isn’t as dangerous as rotten eggs, but that doesn’t mean it’s pleasant! Bacteria growth on coils and other components of your furnace produces an awful odor that’s known as “dirty sock syndrome.” The good news is that all it takes to correct this problem is a thorough cleaning of your unit.
  • Electrical burning: As your furnace gets older, the motor wears down and has to use more and more electricity to produce heat for your home. This process not only raises your electric bill, but it also presents a fire hazard if the motor is in really bad shape. Before a fire breaks out, you may notice an electrical burning smell or melted plastic wires. Be sure to cut the power and call a professional right away in this situation!
  • Musty odor: The first time you turn your furnace on each season, you may notice a faint (or sometimes not so faint) musty smell coming out of your vents. Though it’s not very pleasant, this musty odor isn’t something you need to worry about—it’s just the result of a dusty and dirty unit. If the smell doesn’t go away shortly after turning the heat on, you may need to replace the air filter.

My furnace smells—now what?

Don’t just plug your nose and hope that furnace odor in Mabank, TX goes away on its own! Be proactive and take these steps:

  • Schedule maintenance: The best way to prevent any nasty smells and a host of other furnace issues in Mabank, TX is by calling a professional for maintenance! During a maintenance call, your professional will clean your unit, inspect for any damage and replace any parts that look like they might malfunction.
  • Make repairs right away: Don’t just wait around for the problem to go away if your furnace smells bad or is acting up. Instead, call an HVAC technician to correct the issue. Waiting too long to make repairs will only result in more damage and a higher repair bill.
  • Replace the unit: Even if they’re professionally maintained each fall, furnaces do have a finite lifespan. After about a decade or so, it could be time to replace that old unit. Though new furnaces aren’t cheap, they are more energy efficient, and they certainly won’t smell bad!

Regardless of the type of furnace odor in Mabank, TX you smell, be sure to call the team at Ken’s Comfort Zone Air Conditioning to make some repairs. We offer an array of heating services to ensure our customers are warm, safe and able to save money on their heating bills!

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *