When an unfamiliar odor creeps into your living room, you may want to think twice before blaming the dog. Furnace odors in your home affect your indoor air quality, and the results can range from an unpleasant aroma, to deadly gas emissions, to a catastrophic fire. Residents of Los Angeles usually switch on the furnace after it’s been sitting unused for many months. Debris, dust and soot can enter the living spaces of a home, and, eventually, these substances may be inhaled into your lungs and those of your loved ones. This is why it’s important to recognize certain furnace odors and know how to address them when your nose detects them.
If you smell a burning odor or see smoke emanating from your heating ducts, you need to switch off the furnace and contact a heating and ventilation professional immediately. In this case, it’s likely that you have ignited some substance within the duct work. A fire can spread quickly and destroy your home, endangering you and your loved ones.
Any chemical smell that you might detect, and those which are accompanied by a burning in the eyes, nose and throat, are also cause to be alarmed and take action. The reason could be that the insulation and ventilation structures surrounding the furnace could be in need of attention.
A musty, damp or moldy furnace odor coming out of your vents is a less serious matter, though it should be addressed before becoming dangerous. These aromas are usually due to your furnace and the adjacent vents needing to be cleaned. In addition, it’s also a good idea to clean your air filters on a regular basis, even if your furnace is turned off for all but a few months every year.
To find out more about furnace odors and what they mean, please give us a call at Around the Clock Air Conditioning & Heating. Our experts are experienced in handling all types of indoor air quality issues, as we have been serving our customers in Los Angeles and North Hollywood for 45 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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