Is the Burning Smell Normal From Heat the First of the Season?

There are many smells that advise us of the winter season. For some, it’s the smell of evergreen or a vacation supper in the oven– for others, it’s that smell you notice when you first turn on the heat for the season. Many Charlotte homeowners end up being worried because their heating unit smells like its burning when it’s first turned on, but is this normal? Discover why this smell occurs, if it’s safe, and if you can prevent it.

Why There’s a Burning Smell Coming from Your Heating System
In Charlotte NC, heating units sit inactive for much of the year. As furnaces and heat pump systems rest throughout the spring, summer, and fall, dust settles within the devices as the air continues to circulate throughout your forced air cooling and heating system. When the first cold day comes and you want to fire up your furnace, this fine layer of dust will burn off heater parts after the system launches. Your heater smells like its burning when very first switched on due to the smell of burning dust.

Is a Heater Burning to Smell Normal?
Usually, it’s totally typical that a heating unit has a burning smell when first turned on, and you do not need to worry! This smell dissipates in an hour or so. As long as the smell of burning doesn’t continue for more than a day, this odor is just a regular event.

Can the Burning Smell Be Prevented?
Some Charlotte-based homeowners don’t mind a burning smell when they turn on their heater for the very first time, while others do. While the heating system smell is a regular part of starting the system for the season, there are some steps you can require to decrease it.

• Have a heating system tune-up carried out before the heating season. This service includes cleaning your heater interiors, which gets rid of much of the dust that generally burns off at the beginning of usage. As long as your heater gets upkeep ahead of that first cold day, the burning smell will be greatly lessened– if not prevented altogether.
• Modify your furnace filter. With a brand-new filter in location, dust particles are caught so they don’t continue to recirculate into your living locations, causing the odor to remain. A clean filter allows appropriate airflow so the odor strains quickly, whereas a dirty filter can cause it to remain.

Burning Smells That Aren’t Typical
If your heating system discharges a burning smell when first switched on, it’s most likely regular. If you smell a unique burning smell when using your heating system throughout the year, this is cause for issue.

• A burning plastic odor can result if the heating system has worn-out components, such as a fan belt or capacitor. Call your HVAC service technician to change them.
• A burning plastic odor can likewise be brought on by melting wiring insulation inside the furnace, which can happen if there is an electrical fault in the system. Turn your heater off and have your relied-on technician repair the problem.
• An electrical burning odor could also be brought on by an overheated blower motor. Examine your filter and replace it if unclean, as restricted airflow due to a clogged filter is a common cause of overheating. If the odor continues, call your a/c specialist.

At South End Heating & Air we specialize in all brands of home heating systems including (Trane, Goodman, Carrier, Lennox, and many more), contact us for a free consult. We’ll evaluate your system and help make recommendations for optimum value. After all, we want to keep you cool all summer long and warm in the winter. Just schedule a visit with one of our technicians to talk about how we can help with your thermostat settings. Would you like to learn more options our techs can help you with? give us a call 704-684-5339