There are many ways that you might notice a problem with your heating system. One of the most common is noises: clonking or clattering, buzzing or clicking, grinding or groaning. Other possibilities include poor heat circulation, rising utility bills, or short and rapid heating cycles.
Another thing that can tip you off to a furnace issue is odor. Your heating system should not smell like anything most of the time. If you do notice a smell coming from your furnace, are repairs required? Not necessarily, but some odors indicate serious problems or emergencies.
Least Concern
The most common and least worrisome heating odor may occur when you first turn the heat on after months of disuse. It’s simply a hot, dry smell caused by a year’s worth of dust in your furnace getting heated up. This does not mean you need furnace repair. However, it does mean you haven’t gotten maintenance this year, because your technician would have cleaned that dust away. Schedule maintenance now!
Moderate Concern
If the hot smell is just dust, it will clear up in an hour or so, especially if you open some windows. But if that smell persists, smells like more than just dust is heating up, or is accompanied by a grinding sound or other noises, you do need repairs.
There’s probably an overheating component, whether from friction, layers of insulating dust on the motor, or an electrical issue. While not an emergency, this should be addressed promptly so that the issue doesn’t worsen. Overheating can lead to the whole motor having to be replaced after wires fuse together! Schedule an appointment.
Urgent Concern
What’s a more pressing problem than an overheating component? Anything that makes you think there’s a risk of electrical fire. If you smell melting plastic, like the coating on electrical wires burning, or anything that reminds you of fish, turn your heating system off immediately. Repairs need to be done before you use the heat again at all!
Why fish, you ask? Interestingly, both decomposing sea creatures and electrical fires emit ammonia, so they smell very similar. If you ever detect this odor, don’t delay, get emergency repairs. Fire is not a risk worth taking.
Emergency
The most serious emergency that could occur with a heating system will have you evacuating your home as quickly as you can. This would be a gas leak from a gas-burning furnace. The smell will remind you of far too many hard-boiled eggs, because a sulfurous additive, mercaptan, ensures that the natural gas in your home won’t be odorless and undetectable.
If you know how to shut off the gas entirely, you might quickly do that. If you’re not sure, or it would take time, skip it. Gather your loved ones and get out of the house. Once you’re at least 300 feet away, make a phone call. If you can’t immediately get through to your natural gas provider’s emergency line, call 911.
Keep yourself and your family safe by scheduling routine maintenance and, as soon as you notice a problem, getting furnace repair in Suwanee, GA.
Reach out to Wall Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. with any inquiries or to make an appointment.