If you haven’t used your furnace in a while you may notice a strange smell when you kick it on for the first time that year. In most cases, that strange smell can be attributed to a little bit of build-up of dirt, debris, and dust. Dust happens and thankfully you should be able to avoid these smells by scheduling maintenance before you start up your furnace each year so a technician can make sure everything is clean and ready to go.
However, if you’ve been running your furnace throughout winter and you discover that you are noticing another strange smell, you should pay close attention.
If it smells like gas or sulfur, you need to shut down your furnace and call for furnace repair in Winder, GA immediately.
Here is why.
What’s That Smell?
So what might be causing the smell of gas? The short answer is a gas leak. The full explanation however, involves your furnace. Over time, a certain part of your furnace may begin to wear out and crack. This will lead to a leak that allows gas into your home. Thankfully, while gas normally doesn’t smell, many providers now infuse their supply with certain elements that create the tell-tale gas or “rotten egg” smell to alert you that there is gas in the air.
Why the Smell of Gas is a Problem
If you are smelling gas in the home, it isn’t surprising that there is a problem at hand. The issue here is two-fold though. These are your problems:
- Your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger. The gas is likely to be coming from the heat exchanger in your furnace. This can negatively impact your furnace’s ability to heat your home and wastes fuel which costs you money.
- There is gas in your home. If you can smell gas, you need to shut everything down and let the gas dissipate. Gas in your home presents a big risk to your health and safety. Don’t ignore it! Shut off the supply and turn off your furnace and any other gas-powered appliances before you call a professional.
Get Your Heat Exchanger Fixed–Fast!
The long and short of it is, if you smell gas, you have a problem. Not only can a cracked heat exchanger negatively affect your home comfort, it can also be seriously harmful to your health if allowed to go unaddressed for too long.
Thankfully though the issue is fixable. If you smell gas or rotten eggs your first step should be to shut down your gas-powered appliances. Your second step should be to contact a professional technician to get your furnace assessed and fixed (or replaced if necessary) as quickly as possible.
The team of professionals at American Comfort Heating and Cooling is available and ready to help with all of your furnace service needs. With our maintenance and repairs, your furnace will stay in the best possible shape for the longest span of time. We also provide furnace replacement when the time comes.
Bringing Comfort to America, One Home at a Time. Contact our team to schedule your service now.
