Woman Holding Nose At Unpleasant Odor In Home

4 Worrisome Furnace Odors in Chambersburg, PA

February 11, 2021

Winter is in full swing, and now you notice an uncommon smell wafting from your furnace. Do you need the fire department, an emergency repair or just a good cleaning? Here are five common furnace odors and what you need to do about them in Chambersburg, PA.

Rotten Eggs

If you have a natural gas-powered furnace, then the smell of rotten eggs is an emergency. Natural gas is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, and utility companies add a chemical called mercaptan to give it that distinctive smell. You must exit your home immediately without touching a light switch or telephone, call 911 and your local utility company from a safe location and then schedule an emergency repair appointment.

Burning Odor or Smoke

Within the first few cycles of the season, it is normal to smell a slight odor of something burning. This happens as the dust and dirt that collected on the heating element during the off-season burns off. If this smell persists, then you should schedule a service call to investigate the cause.

Musty Odor

If you notice that your furnace smells like a gym sock, your first stop is the furnace filter. Clean or replace the filter, and if that does not alleviate the odor, then you should schedule a professional inspection and cleaning of your system.

Oil Burning or Diesel Fuel

An oil furnace that smells of diesel fuel or burning oil requires immediate investigation. If a spill occurred during a recent refueling, there is not much cause for alarm. However, another cause is that your furnace may not be burning all the oil passing through the burner; this results in a flammable fog that can ignite, and you need to schedule service immediately.

Don’t let that mystery odor fester. At Leckron’s Comfort Solutions, we offer 24/7 emergency repair services and preventive maintenance plans in Chambersburg, PA.

Image provided by iStock

You May Also Like

Preparing your HVAC system for Spring

Preparing your HVAC system for Spring

After our blast of Arctic air in mid-January, it's perfectly reasonable to dream of spring. When we start envisioning flower gardens and breezy weather, it means one more thing: it's time for your spring HVAC maintenance. The fall and the spring are the perfect...

Demystifying HVAC Filters: Your Complete Guide to Cleaner Air

Demystifying HVAC Filters: Your Complete Guide to Cleaner Air

One of the most basic tasks of a homeowner is to change the HVAC filter. Yet, this seemingly straightforward chore can become burdened with nuances. What kind of filter? Reusable or disposable? Fiberglass or pleated? MERV, FPR, or MPR? It can all be overwhelming. Air...

A Comprehensive Guide to Furnaces: Understanding Heating Systems

A Comprehensive Guide to Furnaces: Understanding Heating Systems

Furnaces are the heart of our HVAC system, so it makes sense we spend some time understanding how they work. Do you know the differences between furnace types, what considerations to consider before picking one, how much maintenance they require, and the environmental...

Why Choose Us

Flat Rate Pricing

Free Second Opinions

Free In-home Consultations

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Pin It on Pinterest