Austin Heating And Air

Why Does My Heater Smell Like Something Is Burning?

If you haven’t already turned on your furnace, you will be sooner than later. And while most people love the comforts of fall—pumpkin spice everything, fuzzy blankets, warm coffee on a chilly morning— turning on your furnace for the first time of the new season might put a damper on your fall fun.

After months of disuse, new season furnace smells are pretty common, but that doesn’t mean you should shrug your shoulders and assume all is well. Although furnace odors are rarely dangerous, they can be—which means they’re always worth investigating. Downside? Your furnace doesn’t smell so great, and now you have to figure out what’s causing it. Upside? You get to play detective.

Here’s what those common furnace smells mean and what you can do about them:

  • Furnace Smells Like Burning Dust: This is the most common and (thankfully) least worrisome smell. While you’re not using your furnace in the summer months, dust settles everywhere. After that first ignition and first few cycles, the dust will burn off and create that familiar odor. No reason to panic! If it doesn’t stop after a few cycles, try changing or cleaning your filter.
  • Furnace Smells Like Burning Plastic: If it smells like a horse it’s probably a horse, right? First check all your vents and ducts for wayward plastic toys, plastic wrapping, or other debris—especially if you have little ones. You know better than anyone that your kids’ favorite toys end up in the most unlikely places! Checking for the obvious can save you lots of time and worry.
    However, a burning plastic smell can also mean overheating. Capacitors, plastic-coated wires, and fan belts are the usual culprits of that plastic smell. Make sure to turn off the furnace and take care of this one quickly, since burning plastic is toxic.
  • Furnace Smells Oily or Smoky: You’ll experience this if you have an oil furnace. This usually means the oil filter needs cleaning or replacing. It could also be a blocked chimney. Regardless, turn off your unit immediately and inspect the issue further.
  • Furnace Smells Metallic, Electrical, or Chemical: Usually, if your furnace is overheating, it will automatically shut off. But if there’s something wrong with the blower motor or heat exchanger, this safety feature won’t kick in. These overheated parts create a metallic, electrical, or chemical smell. Some people say this issue causes a smell like formaldehyde. (Oh, such fond memories of dissecting frogs in biology class.) Turn off the furnace and inspect it for damage.
  • Furnace Smells Like Burning Gunpowder: If you’re getting a distinct odor of gunpowder, you probably have a fried circuit board or fan motor. Turn off the furnace and call us for a safety inspection.
  • Furnace Smells Like Rotten Eggs: Natural gas is odorless, but your gas company adds sulfur to make gas leaks easier to find and correct. So, a rotten egg smell means you’re having an issue with your gas supply. Immediately get everyone out of your home (including you!) and then call your gas company or fire department.
  • Furnace Smells Musty or Mildewy: If you turn on your furnace and it smells like a damp basement or moist dirt, there are a couple potential causes. The first thing to check is your air filter and to replace or clean it as needed. Next, check your humidifier filter (if you have one) for mold. Clean with water and vinegar for an easy fix.

Need more help with your furnace in Austin?

If your furnace smell continues, gets worse, or you can’t find the cause, call your local fire department for a safety inspection. When it comes to furnace and fire safety, you’re always better safe than sorry. Then give us a call! We take pride in keeping you and your neighbors safe and comfortable in their homes.

Eddie
2023-10-04
From the get go, Kassidy was excellent in scheduling options and even managed to snag me an earlier time slot than previous discussed. She took the time to reach out and confirm. A major shout out to Jamie and Carlo—talk about pros. They were excellent on providing education and explaining the why behind my duct issues. This was the initial inspection and I’ll make sure to leave details once the work is completed.
Jose Carlos Rodriguez
2023-09-25
Awesome
Eric Corum
2023-09-25
Very professional, great communicators, and very thorough.
Agustin Hernandez
2023-09-21
Todo muy profesional desde que hablé para pedir información la Srita que me atendió muy amable y el técnico que vino a mi casa también muy amable y profesional resolvió todas mis dudas 100% recomendable
Cindi Taylor
2023-09-14
What an amazing team of people! I came home from vacation and my house was hot. It was hot outside- Austin in the summer hot. I spoke with Petra and she was able to get a technician out within a couple of hours. That in itself is quite a feat given it was after 1:30pm. Jaime Ortega was dispatched and came to check the system. This guy has great customer service skills! He is a is very respectful, polite, communicate well, explains what is going on and is very thorough. He was joined by Carlos, who is also very polite, considerate and knowledgeable. These guys make a really great team. I was told there were several problems and I explained I had been trying to deal with one side of my house not working properly and the other side never getting cool in the summer and warm in the winter. My electric bills over the last 2 months were unsustainable. They went into the attic and traced down all the ductwork, discovered some of it had been installed incorrectly and they formulated a solution. It was also decided by me to replace the entire AC system. By the time this was decided, it was well after 6:30pm. I asked when we would be able to get this to happen and they said - tomorrow! They showed up on time and regretably I did not get the 3rd team member's name- and he deserves a shout out too. They worked for more than 8 hours in that horrible heat- got the system installed and everything cleaned up, packed up, and left the space better than they found it. I really appreciate skilled professionals that respect someone's home and who take the time to talk with me and let me know what is going on, what they are finding and how to take care of my investment. I have chosen for several years to be part of their maintenance membership plan and I have never been disappointed- even when I have an unexpected event - like a system failure while on vacation. I have had the privilege of meeting one of the owners, talking with the administrative staff, and 3 technicians that are really awesome people. These guys care about the quality of work they perform and they work to keep their customers happy. No wonder they have such great reviews! I am very happy with the service I received, the way I was treated and the value they bring to their industry. Keep up the good work! I will certainly tell everyone I know to call you when they need help. Perfect name too- GRANDE AIR SOLUTIONS!!!
Lourdes Alonso
2023-09-09
A/C stopped working on a Friday night and Isael came out within the hour and got it working. He was really knowledgeable and showed us other areas to keep an eye on. He stayed long enough to make sure the system was lowering the temperature in the house.
Sascha Rips
2023-09-09
Our A/C went out late in the day on a Friday. Grande Air was able to get us in Friday evening and got our A/C up and running in just a short time. Prices were also very reasonable even though it was a weekend evening. We will definitely use them again for future A/C needs.
Kiersten Legge
2023-09-07
Jaime was AWESOME!!! Professional and let us know each step he was taking in diagnosis and repair. Love Grande!!!!!

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