When it comes to home safety, one thing you’ll want to pay attention to is furnace fumes. Although some smells emanating from your furnace are harmless, others are definitely cause for concern. To keep your family safe, let’s review a few different types of furnace fumes you might experience in your Lorain area home.
Burning dust
This late in the heating season, you’re not likely to smell burning dust. This usually happens at the beginning of the winter, when you first switch on your furnace. During the months that the furnace is not in operation, dust collects on the unit and is burned off when you turn it back on in the fall. You’re likely familiar with this smell from past winters. This usually lasts for less than an hour and is harmless.
More burning dust
If the aforementioned burning dust smell doesn’t go away after a reasonable amount of time, this may indicate that your furnace filter is dirty. If this is the case, changing the filter will solve the issue. But if the smell doesn’t go away, you may need to have an HVAC professional inspect your home’s ductwork for issues that could be causing the smell.
Smoky smell
This could be one of several things. First, the burners in your furnace may be covered with a layer of dust or dirt, which means they need to be cleaned. Bad wiring is another possibility. Finally, your blower motor may be going bad. With any of these problems, seeking out expert advice likely will be your best bet for providing peace of mind.
Gas smell
This is the one problem you don’t want to mess with. Smelling natural gas (or more accurately, the chemical that gives it the distinctive rotten-egg smell) can signal a dangerous gas leak in your furnace or its plumbing. If this happens, immediately leave your home and contact your local fire department.
If you would like further assistance with furnace issues, or for questions regarding home comfort, please contact the experts at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We serve the HVAC needs of Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Furnace Fumes and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area