{"id":743,"date":"2024-10-21T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/?p=743"},"modified":"2024-10-23T09:57:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T14:57:41","slug":"whats-that-strange-smell-from-your-heating-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/heating-service\/whats-that-strange-smell-from-your-heating-system\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s That Strange Smell from Your Heating System?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"child-holding-nose\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

When you turn your heat on for the first time when the temperature gets chilly this fall, you want to have confidence that it will work well and not cause you any concern. But what if you smell something strange? Does it mean your heating system needs repair. Maybe, but maybe not. Here\u2019s how to tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Hot Dust<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If it truly is the first time you\u2019ve turned on the heat this season, did you have maintenance done beforehand? If so, the heating system will be nice and clean. If not, it\u2019s definitely coated in a thick layer of dust, inside and out. When the system heats up, that dust will heat up, too, and scorched dust is a very noticeable smell! So what should you do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, let the heat keep running while you open some windows. (We know, you don\u2019t want to let the cold in! You turned the heat on because you were already too chilly.) The smell should be gone within the hour. If the smell doesn\u2019t go away, or if this wasn\u2019t the first time you\u2019ve used your heating system this fall, you should have a technician check it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hot Metal or Melting Plastic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It might be hard to tell the difference, but this will smell more \u201cwrong\u201d than simple hot dust, and the smell won\u2019t go away. Hot metal and melting plastic mean that something inside your heating system is getting too hot. Overheating components can cause major problems, so don\u2019t delay in getting this repaired!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When something in the system gets too hot, it can trigger the limit switch, shutting down the system. As soon as it cools down a bit, the heat will come on again, only to get immediately shut off. This is called short cycling, and it uses a huge amount of energy compared to regular cycles. Plus, it won\u2019t keep your home evenly cozy, and it increases wear and tear on the system!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other possibilities when a system overheats include wiring fusing together, the blower fan motor needing to be replaced instead of just repaired, and even an actual fire. Don\u2019t ignore this smell! Get the help you need before you have a bigger problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eggs or Fish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What strange things for a heating system to smell like! But your children haven\u2019t been putting the parts of dinner they don\u2019t like into your heating vents\u2026 probably. These smells indicate that something is very seriously wrong, so take immediate action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If what you smell is eggs, a sulfurous smell, this is the compound called mercaptan which is added to natural gas so that you\u2019ll be able to tell if there\u2019s a leak. If you can shut off your heating system, or shut off the gas entirely, do that. If that would take time to figure out, just evacuate. Take your family and pets a safe distance away, and then call your gas company\u2019s emergency number or 911.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If what you smell is fish, that\u2019s because there\u2019s ammonia in the air. This can be created by electrical fire! Again, try to quickly shut off your heating system. Be on high alert while calling for emergency repairs. Do not turn the heat on again until a qualified technician has repaired it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To schedule that maintenance and avoid all these problems before they start, or to get heating repair in Calhoun, LA<\/a>, reach out right away.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact <\/strong>Mike Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC<\/strong><\/a>. We provide \u201cProfessional grade service.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

But what if you smell something strange? Does it mean your heating system needs repair. Maybe, but maybe not. Here\u2019s how to tell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[76],"tags":[116,99],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=743"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":745,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743\/revisions\/745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikesmithac.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}