Why Does My Furnace Smell Bad?

Written on: October 28, 2019

If have your propane heating furnace maintained by professionals every year, chances are it will do its job quietly and without complaint. But sometimes your propane furnace will give you warning signs of a problem to come – often in the form of strange odors.

Common Furnace Smells

Odd smells that originate in your furnace can indicate several issues; here are four common furnace odors and what they mean for your heating equipment:

• A dust-burning smell is common early in the heating season as your furnace burns away accumulated dust and dirt; the smell should go away after few hours. If it doesn’t, try replacing your air filter (which you should do at the beginning of the season anyway) before you call us for service.
• An electrical burning smell (like burning wire) is typically a sign of overheating. If your furnace is cycling (turning on and off) for no apparent reason, it could be your equipment protecting itself from a breakdown. Give your furnace a rest for a few hours; if the problem returns when you try it again, contact us for service.
• A mechanical burning smell (like worn out rubber or grinding metal parts) can indicate a serious problem (a worn out or broken part, for example) that needs immediate attention; shut your heating system down and call a heating expert right away.
• A rotten egg smell indicates that you have a propane gas leak; if you have a propane leak, follow these procedures immediately:
  • Avoid touching any equipment that could cause a spark (lights or light switches, appliances, telephones, cell phones, etc.); a spark can cause an explosion.
  • Get everyone (including pets) out of your house immediately and call 911 from a safe distance away.
  • If it is safe to do so, turn off the propane gas at the tank; if you don’t know how to do this, ask us – it’s important information to know.
  • When inspection teams say it is safe to return to your home, do so – but do not use your propane equipment again until it is inspected by a professional.

Having furnace trouble? Our licensed, bonded Ace-Robbins technicians will get your equipment repaired quickly and do the job right so you can enjoy reliable heating service all season long. If your heating system needs to be replaced, we can help you there, too, with expert high efficiency heating system installations anywhere in our Tunkhannock, PA service area.
Contact us today to learn more!