Why is My Furnace Giving Off a Weird Smell? How Do I Get Rid of Musty Odors?

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We are all getting ready to start thinking about keeping ourselves warm as the weather starts to show signs of change. When that times comes, we are all going to want to make sure our furnaces are up for the task at hand. This is something you want to be in place and ready when you need it. To ensure your furnace is ready for winter, it is essential to have your furnace maintenance appointment. That way, if there are any issues with your furnace, they can be addressed before you’re trying to heat your home. One issue that many homeowners face when they turn on their furnace for the first time is strange or bad odors coming from the vents. Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning is here to talk about some of the most common strange furnace odors you might smell and what they mean.

Why Does My Furnace Smell Like Something is Burning?

When you turn on your furnace and smell something foul, you want to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. There are several different smells that are a common problem with furnaces.


– Burning Dust: Have you ever turned your furnace on for the first time in the season and it has smelt like something is burning? This is because dust settles on the furnace during the off season. It takes a bit of time for the dust to burn off when the furnace is turned on for the first time. This is usually not long lasting.


– Rotten Eggs / Sulfur: If you smell something that resembles rotten eggs, it is cause for concern. You should turn your furnace off right away when this smell is present. This is usually indicative of a natural gas leak and could be putting your home at risk. You need to contact emergency personnel when this happens so that the leak can be resolved.


– Musty Smell: If there is mold growing anywhere in your HVAC system, you might smell something musty when your furnace turns on. Sometimes, there might be excess moisture in your system somewhere that can lead to mold growth. This can be dangerous because it can impact your health in a negative way if you aren’t dealing with it.


– Metallic Smell: If you have parts that are overheating in your furnace, it can lead to a metallic smells hen your furnace is on. This smell can also be caused by an electrical problem in your furnace as well. You need to turn off your furnace anytime you smell this as it can lead to serious damage to the system if there is a problem.

If you smell something amiss when your furnace turns on, you can turn to Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning to get to the bottom of it. If there is a repair that needs to be made, you can count on our team of highly qualified technicians to take care of it. Call us today!

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