Top Reasons Behind Smelly HVAC Systems
Are you experiencing strange, unpleasant smells in your home when your AC or heater kicks on? More often than not, pungent odors are a sign that something is not right with your HVAC system, but what could it be?
Depending on the kind of odor you’re smelling, you could have any one of a number of issues within your system (a gas leak, mold, an overheated unit, etc.) ranging in severity from a minor inconvenience to a potentially disastrous situation. Either way, if you are smelling something strange coming from your HVAC system, call a trusted heating and cooling company, like Laney’s Inc. for a unit inspection, and ask about our other HVAC services.
Does it Smell Like Gas?
Smelling gas in your home is never a good thing, so if you smell something like rotten eggs or sulfur, you need to get out of the house right away.
Open all windows and doors, get yourself and your loved ones out of the house, and call your gas company only when you are safely away from your home.
On its own, the natural gas that powers your furnace and other appliances is completely colorless and odorless. As a safety measure, however, gas companies add in the foul sulfur smell to alert you right away when there is a leak.
This leak can be coming from a loose pipe fitting, or from a crack in the gas line itself. Once you have contacted the gas company and had the gas to your house shut off, call a reliable HVAC company like Laney's Inc. to have a technician take a look at your gas lines.
Have an Old, or Musty Smell?
The mustiness you are smelling from your AC unit or heater is likely being caused by the mold which has taken up residence somewhere in your HVAC system. There are a few different places the moisture causing the musty smell is coming from.
They are:
Your air vents and ducts, which can accumulate moisture (especially during the rainy season). This problem can be solved by scheduling a duct cleaning. A clogged drain pan causing excess moisture to gather inside the unit. Unclogging drain pans can easily be done at home, or you can call an HVAC service.
Your AC unit is too big for your house, so the air is cycling through your house too quickly for it to be adequately dehumidified before re-entering the system. If this is your issue in your home, call Laney's Inc. today for a new AC unit installation.
Smells Like Something is Burning?
A burning smell from your HVAC unit can mean many things. If you are turning on your heater for the first time this season, for example, and the smell only lasts a few minutes, the system is probably just burning off the dust that has accumulated on the heat exchanger over the past few months.
If the smell doesn’t go away after a few minutes, though, you may have components in your heater, like motors, belts, or electrical components, that are overheating. In this case, you should call Laney’s Inc. to inspect your HVAC systems and help you come to a safe and affordable solution.
