It won’t be long before it’s time to turn off the A/C and blast the heat in the Charlotte area. For many homeowners, turning on the heat means more than keeping the house comfortable in colder months. It can signal the arrival of strange, unpleasant smells.
Foul odors can range from being minor nuisances to major safety issues for your home. A funny smell may be insignificant, but more serious stenches could be indicative of larger problems with your HVAC system. At Andersen Heating & Cooling, we’ve found a few tips to help identify smells, determine their causes and eliminate them.
My Charlotte heater smells like burning dust
If you think you smell burning dust, you’re exactly right. The good news is that this is generally nothing to worry about. Dust accumulates in and around heating system ducts as they go unused for extended periods of time. When you first turn on your furnace, this dust gets burned off. If the smell doesn’t go away after a few hours, changing the air filter will usually do the trick.
If you smell burning metal or plastic, call Andersen Heating & Cooling
A burning metallic or plastic odor could mean that electrical components are overheating in your furnace. The best case scenario here is that you have a furnace that automatically shuts off. Overheating can cause rubber components to melt, but can potentially lead to safety hazards such as electrical fires. Immediately turn off your heater and call Andersen Heating & Cooling. We’ll send a certified technician to identify any defective components in your heating system.
What about Rotten Eggs?
Fuel companies often scent the natural gas in furnaces to smell like sulfur or rotten eggs. This allows homeowners to detect a gas leak from their heating system. Leaking natural gas is nothing to take lightly, as it can potentially cause explosions. In this situation, you should shut off your heat and exit your home, then contact Andersen to address the leak.
If your heating system is filling your home with funky odors, it may be time to contact a professional for maintenance and repair. Andersen Heating & Cooling has been keeping Charlotte area heating systems operating safely and efficiently for over 30 years. Call us for your HVAC needs today!
