When you turn your heat on for the first time when the temperature gets chilly this fall, you want to have confidence that it will work well and not cause you any concern. But what if you smell something strange? Does it mean your heating system needs repair. Maybe, but maybe not. Here’s how to tell.
Hot Dust
If it truly is the first time you’ve turned on the heat this season, did you have maintenance done beforehand? If so, the heating system will be nice and clean. If not, it’s definitely coated in a thick layer of dust, inside and out. When the system heats up, that dust will heat up, too, and scorched dust is a very noticeable smell! So what should you do?
First, let the heat keep running while you open some windows. (We know, you don’t want to let the cold in! You turned the heat on because you were already too chilly.) The smell should be gone within the hour. If the smell doesn’t go away, or if this wasn’t the first time you’ve used your heating system this fall, you should have a technician check it out.
Hot Metal or Melting Plastic
It might be hard to tell the difference, but this will smell more “wrong” than simple hot dust, and the smell won’t go away. Hot metal and melting plastic mean that something inside your heating system is getting too hot. Overheating components can cause major problems, so don’t delay in getting this repaired!
When something in the system gets too hot, it can trigger the limit switch, shutting down the system. As soon as it cools down a bit, the heat will come on again, only to get immediately shut off. This is called short cycling, and it uses a huge amount of energy compared to regular cycles. Plus, it won’t keep your home evenly cozy, and it increases wear and tear on the system!
Other possibilities when a system overheats include wiring fusing together, the blower fan motor needing to be replaced instead of just repaired, and even an actual fire. Don’t ignore this smell! Get the help you need before you have a bigger problem.
Eggs or Fish
What strange things for a heating system to smell like! But your children haven’t been putting the parts of dinner they don’t like into your heating vents… probably. These smells indicate that something is very seriously wrong, so take immediate action.
If what you smell is eggs, a sulfurous smell, this is the compound called mercaptan which is added to natural gas so that you’ll be able to tell if there’s a leak. If you can shut off your heating system, or shut off the gas entirely, do that. If that would take time to figure out, just evacuate. Take your family and pets a safe distance away, and then call your gas company’s emergency number or 911.
If what you smell is fish, that’s because there’s ammonia in the air. This can be created by electrical fire! Again, try to quickly shut off your heating system. Be on high alert while calling for emergency repairs. Do not turn the heat on again until a qualified technician has repaired it.
To schedule that maintenance and avoid all these problems before they start, or to get heating repair in Calhoun, LA, reach out right away.
Contact Mike Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC. We provide “Professional grade service.”