Why Does My Furnace Make My House Smell Bad in Bunn, NC?

Your furnace provides you with an efficient way to heat your Bunn, NC home. When functioning properly, it will be free of odor, but when an issue arises, you may strange smells. The following are a few of the most common furnace odors a homeowner may notice and the reasons for them.

Rotten Eggs

Natural gas is perfect for your furnace because it’s economical and effective, but it’s also dangerous if inhaled. It can cause nausea, dizziness, irregular breathing and fatigue.

Natural gas has no odor, making it hard to detect. Gas companies add a sulfur-based chemical to it that emits a distinct odor of rotten eggs to let you know when you have a leak. If you notice this odor, get out of your home as quickly as possible and call for professional furnace repair.

Dirty Socks

When bacteria build up in the heating coils, you’ll notice an odor similar to dirty socks. These heating coils cool off when the heating system isn’t running and reheat when the system starts to heat your home. This cycle causes condensation, creating an environment where bacteria thrive.

Nothing short of a thorough cleaning will remove this odor. Scheduling routine maintenance for your furnace can help you avoid this issue.

Ozone

Ozone is that sharp odor you notice during a thunderstorm. Your Bunn, NC heating system emits a similar odor when it overheats.

With age, the bearings in your furnace may cause the blower motor to seize up. The furnace then tries to use additional electricity to overcome the resistance, which causes heat to build up in the motor.

That heat is hot enough to melt wire insulation off and cause electrical shorts, which create that ozone odor. If the problem isn’t fixed, the sparks and melting wires can start a fire.

These odors are warning signs that something is wrong with your furnace. When trouble arises, call Alford Mechanical for any furnace repairs you need.

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