As the colder months approach and you fire up your furnace for the first time in a while, you may notice an unexpected and peculiar smell emanating from your heating system.
The initial encounter with an unusual odor can be worrying, leaving you wondering what could be causing it and whether it’s something to worry about or not. Is it normal for a furnace to smell the first time you turn it on?
Yes. Your furnace will smell funny the first time you turn it on, which is normal. There may be a smell of burning or a little musty sometimes. This is not a big deal, and most homes experience it.
In case the smell doesn’t disappear within a few days after using it for the first time, it’s time to get it checked out. If your furnace smells like a burning fire, then you have one burning.
Weird Smells You Might Notice When You First Turn on Your Heat
When heating systems are first turned on, many individuals notice strange smells coming from them.
Some smells in your home are perfectly normal and harmless, while others may indicate something more serious that needs to be addressed.
You can also try this short guide to find out what might be causing the smell of your heat when you turn it on for the first time.
Electrical Burning Smell
Changing the heat does not typically produce an electrical burning smell. The presence of this type of smell indicates that your heating system is having problems.
If the motor malfunctions, the wire is frayed, or another electrical issue exists, it will be the cause.
Electrical problems can cause severe damage, and the repairs are very costly. A problem with electricity could burn out your motor or, even worse, cause a fire.
You should always turn off anything that emits an electrical burning smell whenever you notice it.
If you notice the smell, you should immediately turn off your heat and call an HVAC company so they can assist you in finding the source of the smell and resolving it before it damages your heating system or home.
Musty or Mildew Smell
Is your heat supposed to smell like dirty socks when you first turn it on? You may notice this type of musty smell in your heating coils or ductwork if mold, mildew, or bacteria have accumulated.
It will only affect those with a heat pump for more extended periods of time. A furnace is hot enough to kill bacteria, but a heat pump does not.
Most heat pumps only reach temperatures between 105- and 130-degrees Fahrenheit, which is perfect for microbe growth.
Although you may think this is a scary problem, you don’t have to worry because it is easy to fix. It is essential to clean or replace your air filters as soon as possible if you don’t notice the smell leaving on its own.
Cleaning and inspecting your heating system and ductwork should be the next step if that doesn’t help.
Sulfur or Rotten Eggs Smell
Your heating system probably has a serious problem if it smells like rotten eggs when you turn it on.
You can usually detect a gas leak in your house by the smell of heat coming from your gas furnace. Gas lines are enclosed in furnaces so that natural gas can be fed through them.
Once the gas is ignited inside the furnace, it creates heat and warms your home. It is possible, however, that the gas lines or the furnace itself can leak, allowing the gas to escape the heating system.
Small sparks from leaks in the gas lines can ignite a fire or cause a deadly explosion.
Having this kind of smell in your home when you turn on the heat indicates you need to take action.
If you discover that there is heat in the building, you should turn it off and evacuate. Make sure you contact a professional HVAC technician for emergency service as soon as possible.
Why Does My Heater Smell Like Burning?
Your furnace is likely to smell burning when you first turn it on because it is clogged with dust. If you live in a region with changing seasons, like the Mid-Atlantic, chances are you don’t use your furnace year-round.
While your furnace is unattended for months, dust collects on it. Several months have passed since you last used your heating system.
Inevitably, dust, dirt, and debris have settled on your heating system’s heat exchanger, burners, and other components.
Those particles will burn away when your heat is first turned on, giving off an unpleasant smell of dust or burning.
What Can You Do?
Don’t worry when your furnace builds up dust; the smell should go away once the dust burns off. Check your unit’s interior for dust accumulation without touching it.
You should run your unit generally for about 10 minutes to see if the smell subsides. If the smell persists or gets worse, contact an HVAC professional.
Damaged Electrical Wiring
Your heater may have a severe electrical problem if you smell burning electrical smells coming from it. You can damage your system’s electrical wiring by general wear and tear over time or by incorrect installation.
You would probably rather avoid problems such as a cracked heat exchanger, overheating blower motors, or other serious issues associated with damaged wiring.
The HVAC professional should be contacted right away for all of these problems, as they are serious.
What Can You Do?
It is essential to turn off your heater immediately if you suspect an electrical problem is causing it to smell like it is burning. Contact a licensed HVAC professional immediately if you suspect this is the case.
Dirty Furnace Filters Or Air Vents
Gas furnace maintenance is important because it helps you avoid your heater emitting a burning smell.
Dirty furnace filters and clogged air vents can cause mold or mildew to grow inside your furnace or ductwork, resulting in an unpleasant indoor environment.
When your system is turned on, you may find that it has an unpleasant musty smell.
What Can You Do?
Your furnace may emit a musty odor. Turn it off entirely if you detect this smell. Clean or replace your unit’s filter and try rerunning it after you’ve done this.
The odor may persist even after the filter has been cleaned. If the newly cleaned filter doesn’t stop the odor, call an HVAC contractor to examine your unit and ductwork.
Debris Trapped In The Heating System
During the period when your heating system wasn’t in use, something could have accidentally gotten into your heating system or the ductwork in your house.
Look around your home for vents if you have central heating and identify which room smells burning. A trapped object might be causing the problem if you succeed in finding it.
What can you do?
It may be possible to reach the vent by locating the room where the smell is coming from.
Check inside the box if you can. If you look inside the machine, you might find a toy, a heating system component, or another object trapped there.
Wait a few days to see if the burning smell from the heater persists after safely removing the object from your vent. It can be difficult to remove such items safely, so you may need to enlist the help of a professional HVAC technician.
Can You Avoid A Burning Smell From Your Heater?
Your best defense against unwanted heater smells is to schedule regular maintenance for your system with an HVAC professional.
It is recommended that furnaces be maintained at least once a year, sometimes twice, for certain types of furnaces.
The technician can perform regular furnace maintenance, which will prevent burning smells due to dust buildup, and inspect your unit for electrical issues.
Maintaining your unit regularly, including replacing your filters every three months, will keep it running smoothly and prevent any unwanted smells from filling your home.
Although routine maintenance isn’t foolproof, it is the best way to prevent running into this problem each winter when you turn up your heater.
When You May Need A Furnace Repair
It’s possible to quickly solve many of the odor problems we’ve mentioned. A complete furnace repair could, however, be necessary in some situations.
It is recommended to call an HVAC professional as soon as possible if the burning smell does not subside after troubleshooting is completed.
An electrical issue or a problem with the structure of the heater or a malfunctioning component may cause a heater to have a burning smell.
Before you can safely heat your home again, you may need to have a repair technician repair a part of your furnace or replace it entirely.
Final Words
Whenever you detect strange smells when you turn on the heat for the first time, the best thing you can do is contact a reputable HVAC company that can investigate.
Schedule it now rather than waiting until the beginning of winter to schedule heating system maintenance.
The HVAC professional will ensure everything is in proper working order so there are no weird smells when it’s time to turn on the heater.
