Burning smell when the heat turns on
The first heat of the season often smells. A few smells mean shut it off now.
Usually normal
A dusty, slightly burnt smell for the first 15 to 30 minutes after the heat runs for the first time in fall. Dust on the burners or heat strips is burning off. Change the filter and it should fade.
Shut it off and call
- Electrical or plastic smell: could be an overheating blower motor or wiring. Turn the system off at the thermostat and breaker.
- Smell that keeps coming back or gets stronger: something is overheating, not just dust burning off.
- Smoke from vents or the unit: turn power off, leave the area and call 911 if there's any sign of fire.
Rotten egg smell? That's the odor added to natural gas. Leave the house and call your gas company or 911 from outside.
Lingering smells after a fall tune-up should be checked by the technician who did the work.