Burning Smell From Heating Ducts

In the fall the first few times the heater kicks on it may emit a burning odor that can smell electrical and dusty.

Burning smell from heating ducts.

You may smell heating combustion flue gases. Burning or smoke most people catch a whiff of this heating system smell once a year or so. When you turn on your heating system for the first few times the hot system burns off the layer of dust that has formed over the summer off season. These items could be smoldering and cause an odor.

The smell of the decaying animals will drift into the home through the vents when the heat is running. If you re using ac something is most. It is just your furnace heat pump burning off. The most common burning smells result from burning oil.

But if combustion gases from a heating or hot water system or possibly a wood stove or coal stove are not being safely vented to outdoors you may smell other telltale products of combustion including those gases entering the duct system either through a leak in the heat exchanger or by return air duct system defects that draw heating flue gases into the duct system through that route. Burning dust accumulated dust is the most common source of a burning smell from your heater. If you smell smoke or your smoke detector goes off turn off your furnace immediately. Mold can also grow in vents causing a musty smell to circulate through the home.

Sometimes rodents or other vermin can make their way into the ducts and die. Professional duct cleaning services can eliminate these smells. In some cases this smell can be pulled up into the air ducts and cause the smell throughout the home. If the heater is causing the smell it could be that the fan is overheating or otherwise faulty.

If the smell is strong call your gas company and follow their instructions. If there is a burning smell spreading around your home it is essential to find the source of the smell. Whether you operate an electric heater furnace or heat pump a system that has remained dormant can accumulate dust and other particles from the air supply in your home. If a burning smell is coming from your vents this could be the result of a mechanical problem.

An oil leak can burn off due to the motor s heat output. Give it 20 to 30 minutes and see if the smell dissipates. Well if there s a burning smell coming from your vents the problem really depends on whether you re using heat or air conditioning. When you re confident your home is not on fire you should have your heating system checked.

If you re using heat for the first time this season it is a normal smell. Be sure to check the top of the heat exchanger for debris that may have fallen into the duct work during construction or at another time when your registers might have been off. Turn off the furnace via the shutoff valve generally it s a red valve switch. Smoke odors usually result from a blocked chimney that forces the smoke to go through the ductwork rather than out the chimney.

Instead of taking the risk of doing this as a diy project an expert should be hired to examine the. Some people even describe the smell of heated dust as being like a burning cigarette in the vents.