Well if there s a burning smell coming from your vents the problem really depends on whether you re using heat or air conditioning.
Burning smell from heating ducts.
Instead of taking the risk of doing this as a diy project an expert should be hired to examine the.
These items could be smoldering and cause an odor.
If you are just turning on your heater this could be a problem which will eventually go away on its own.
Burning or smoke most people catch a whiff of this heating system smell once a year or so.
Give it 20 to 30 minutes and see if the smell dissipates.
Though the most common reason is dust in the duct work there are several other reasons why you might notice a burning smell when your heat comes on.
But if combustion gases from a heating or hot water system or possibly a wood stove or coal stove are not being safely vented to outdoors you may smell other telltale products of combustion including those gases entering the duct system either through a leak in the heat exchanger or by return air duct system defects that draw heating flue gases into the duct system through that route.
If you re using ac something is most.
If the smell is strong call your gas company and follow their instructions.
Smoke odors usually result from a blocked chimney that forces the smoke to go through the ductwork rather than out the chimney.
When you re confident your home is not on fire you should have your heating system checked.
Some people even describe the smell of heated dust as being like a burning cigarette in the vents.
Whether you operate an electric heater furnace or heat pump a system that has remained dormant can accumulate dust and other particles from the air supply in your home.
In the fall the first few times the heater kicks on it may emit a burning odor that can smell electrical and dusty.
You may smell heating combustion flue gases.
In some cases this smell can be pulled up into the air ducts and cause the smell throughout the home.
If there is a burning smell spreading around your home it is essential to find the source of the smell.
Mold can also grow in vents causing a musty smell to circulate through the home.
If you re using heat for the first time this season it is a normal smell.
If it does it probably was just the dust burning off.
An oil leak can burn off due to the motor s heat output.
When you turn on your heating system for the first few times the hot system burns off the layer of dust that has formed over the summer off season.
Professional duct cleaning services can eliminate these smells.
If you smell smoke or your smoke detector goes off turn off your furnace immediately.
If the heater is causing the smell it could be that the fan is overheating or otherwise faulty.
The most common burning smells result from burning oil.
If a burning smell is coming from your vents this could be the result of a mechanical problem.
It is just your furnace heat pump burning off.
Turn off the furnace via the shutoff valve generally it s a red valve switch.
Be sure to check the top of the heat exchanger for debris that may have fallen into the duct work during construction or at another time when your registers might have been off.
