The time has come to turn on the heat in your home. Immediately after you turn on the furnace, you smell a burning odor that is wafting through your house. What should you do? First, remain calm and quickly turn off the furnace. Next, go to the area where your heating system is located. Make sure there isn’t a fire or other emergency situation in that area, and refer to the causes of the odor, listed below. Even if your furnace passes this basic DIY inspection, schedule an annual furnace tune-up and maintenance appointment with Boer Brothers Heating and Cooling. Potential problems and issues can be avoided and heating system service and repairs can be performed before they become major issues.
Dust Located in the Combustion Chamber
Since your furnace has probably been idle for at least 4-5 months, it is very likely that dust and dirt have settled inside of the combustion chamber. When you ignite the chamber by turning on the heating system, some debris will be seared, producing the burning smell, similar to a smoke or fire scent. Connected to the combustion chamber is a blower that pushes the warm air through your air ducts, and then throughout your home. This source is safe, if it is proven to be the cause of the burning odor. The smell will go away quickly, and you can open up a few windows to help the odor get out of your house. If the odor continues to stay, there may be another problem with the furnace. Contact Boer Brothers to perform a detailed inspection of your heating system if the smell persists.
A Dirty Filter is To Blame
Changing filters frequently will keep them cleaner and fresher. If you can’t remember the last time you changed your filter for the furnace, this may be the culprit for the bad smell. For forced-air furnaces, a good filter is an important component to deliver warm, clean air to all of the rooms in your house. They remove bad allergens from the air, such as dust mites, pollen, mold spores and pet dander. Before your heating system is warmed up, the furnace filters attract particles from the air, making it cleaner in your home. If that filter is soiled or extremely dirty, airflow is partially obstructed.
This is a dangerous situation, as a fire could develop when the unit overheats. However, if excessive dirt built up on the filter is the reason for the smell, simply changing the air filter should fix the odor problem. This is why it is important to change the filters every 60-90 days for most filters.
The Heating System Blower Stopped Working Properly
After the furnace blower draws heat from the furnace, it sends the heated air out to your home. The blower also keeps the unit’s internal temperature from getting too hot. Since it is a mechanical device, it can possibly malfunction. When a blower malfunctions, the furnace can overheat and produce the burning smell throughout your home. This should prompts an immediate call for heating repair service. Make sure to call a professional for this type of inspection and repair, and our certified technicians at Boer Brothers Heating and Cooling are fully equipped and trained to handle the job.
If you have checked all of the three areas listed above, and have not found a cause of the burning odor, we recommend that you call Boer Brothers to check out the system thoroughly, to ensure safety in your home and eliminate the smell. Our certified technicians will help you to locate the problem and repair your furnace. At Boer Brothers, you will find quality installation, maintenance and repair services in the Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, and Hillsborough areas for residential and commercial customers. Contact us at 919-813-2556 to learn more about our heating and cooling services.