What Is the Burning Smell Coming from My Furnace?

Your furnace is going to emit a burning smell from time to time. It’s the nature of any home heating system to let off an aroma that might give you cause for concern. After all, burning smells are usually not a good sign. But when it comes to the furnace, such a scent may not always mean that it’s time to call in a repair shop for heating and air in Broken Arrow. 

What it boils down to is the type of smell you have detected that might tell you why you have that particular smell coming from the furnace. Once you know why that burning smell is happening, you can take the proper steps to having the issue rectified.

So, let’s explore all the potential problems that could cause the furnace to produce a burning smell and give you some tips on how to determine which one is wreaking havoc with the unit:

Initial Use

We don’t use our furnaces year-round, sometimes a unit can be left dormant for half a year or longer. But when the time comes to start heating the home again and you are operating the furnace after months of sitting unused, you may find that the unit is giving off a faint burning odor.

Burnt Dust

An inactive furnace that has been switched on after a lengthy dormant period can start to smell due to a layer of dust having settled on the exterior walls, the burners, and the exchanger of the unit. These components are vital to the operation of the furnace and when there is a lot of dust on them, that dust can start to burn off from the heat that is coming out of the unit.

Fortunately, the dust will simply burn up and there is no action necessary. The burning smell may get distributed through the home but it will dissipate sooner than later and your furnace is working properly.

Electrical Aroma

Now if you smell an electrical smell in the house, that could be a serious issue. One you need to address urgently because anything electrical where your furnace is concerned could be dangerous. In many instances, there is intense heat being generated inside the unit that could result in your furnace catching fire.

It might be a blower motor burning out, which in turn makes the temperature in the furnace rise to critical levels. It may also be a wiring issue, the wiring in the furnace could be frayed or shorting out and that’s why you’re getting a burning smell.

One thing to keep in mind, if you are smelling a burning electrical aroma, do not operate your furnace. It’s best to leave the unit off until you have a technician come out to take a look at the problem, diagnose what’s causing the aroma, and repair it.

If you run the furnace and you’re smelling an electrical odor, you are increasing the potential of a fire breaking out which could put you, your family, and your home at a significant risk.