If you haven’t used your furnace for several months, you might notice a strange burning smell when you first turn it on. While this may seem alarming enough to have you looking for HVAC repair in the Bay Area, it’s likely not as dire as you think it is.
A heater that hasn’t been used for some time will gather dust. When you turn on your heat for the first time during the Bay Area heating services season, that dust burns away and creates the burning smell that you’ve no doubt experienced. This is completely normal and goes away quickly, usually within about 20 minutes or so. The smell may be unpleasant, but it is harmless.
When to Contact Bay Area Heating Services
While the smell of burning dust in your vents should go away quickly and is harmless, there are other smells that are not. The first is the smell of burning plastic or rubber. This either means the wiring in your home is bad or a component in your HVAC system is overheating. Both of these scenarios are bad and should be addressed right away.
Another smell that you should never ignore from your HVAC system is the smell of rotten eggs. This usually means that there is a gas leak somewhere in your HVAC system. If you detect this smell, get out of your house right away and call 911 as soon as you’re safe.
Also, the burning dust smell coming from your furnace when you first turn it on should go away in a matter of minutes. If it persists longer than an hour, there is likely something wrong with your furnace that should be checked out.
Contact Element Home Solutions for the Best HVAC Repair in the Bay Area
Even though the burning smell when you first turn on your furnace is normal, we understand if you want to avoid it altogether. The best way to do that is to contact Element Home Solutions HVAC repair in the Bay Area before the main heating season starts and let us complete a full tune-up of your system. We can’t promise that it will completely get rid of the burning smell, but it will lessen it while ensuring that your furnace is in good shape for the winter. We also specialize in HVAC repairs, replacements, and air purifiers in the Bay Area, so contact Element Home Solutions today if you have any questions or concerns about your heating system.
