Heating Issues: What’s That Smell?
North Carolina is certainly not known for its extreme winter weather, we’ll give you that. However, residents here know that temperatures can and do drop down well below what could possibly be called “comfortable” levels during the winter season. Your AC system may do the lion’s share of the work in terms of temperature maintenance in your home, but your heater is actually very important as well. That is why you really don’t want to wait when it comes to any necessary heating repairs in Cary, NC.
Now, investing in good equipment and having that equipment installed and serviced by trained professionals is definitely the best way in which to ensure that your heating system functions as reliably as possible. It is not enough too make your system 100% reliable, though. In fact, no system can truthfully make that claim. One symptom that you may notice, and which may indicate the need for heating repairs or even a dangerous situation, is a strange odor coming from that heater.
How Long Has It Been Since You Used Your Heater?
This is an important question because the answer could mean that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. If you smell a burning odor coming from your heating system, and that just so happens to coincide with the first time that you’ve used that heater in some time, then you could simply be smelling the odor of dust burning off of the burners or out of the combustion chamber.
Don’t celebrate too quickly, though. If you smell that odor when using your system regularly, or if you smell it the first time you turn the heater on but it doesn’t go away, then you could have a more serious problem on your hands. We mean it when we say that this is a best-case scenario.
Is There a Plastic Odor Coming from the Heater?
If so, it is possible that there is an obstruction in the ductwork. Have kids? Check the vents pumping heated air into your home. They may have managed to stick a toy in there. If you have radiators, make sure that nothing has fallen behind them, or is resting on top.
It could also be the odor of electric wiring overheating. If that happens, then the casing housing the wires may start to melt. Any electrical problems with your heating system are cause for concern and could be a fire hazard. Play it safe in this scenario.
Does It Smell Like Rotten Eggs?
Assuming that your refrigerator hasn’t given out on you, this might be the most serious problem that you can encounter with a heater—one using natural gas as a fuel source, anyway. This odor could mean that you have a gas leak in your home, and that is incredibly dangerous.
If you suspect that you have a gas leak, the only thing that you should be doing is contacting the appropriate authorities immediately after exiting your house. If the heater is the source of the leak, we may be able to help repair the situation. However, your HVAC company should not be the first point of contact when you notice this problem in your home. Modern heaters are quite safe, but you cannot take chances in this event.
Schedule your heating services with Raleigh Heating & Air.