slight gas smell when furnace starts

When you fire up your furnace for the first time all that dust heats up and emits a slight burning smell. Sometimes when my furnace kicks on I can smell natural gas I have a question about furnace ignitor.

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If the odor seems to be spread across your house and does not go away it is probably a leak.

. For example my wife when walking past the closet that contains our furnace and hot water heater can smell the little bit of gasmercaptan from the hot water tank pilot. Mercaptan is the chemical added to natural gas that gives it that smell. Dust settles into your heating system during the off-season. What Causes the Gas and Other Foul Odor Smell Near the Furnace.

Gas companies have added a chemical to the gas which causes it to smell like rotten eggs andor sulfur so home owners know when there is a gas leak. Natural gas is odorless. The odor is usually faint and should dissipate within a short time when you open the windows. This is normal but you can cut down on the duration of this unpleasant smell by opening some windows to allow for cross ventilation to dissipate the smell quickly.

If you do smell gas you have a problem which needs to be rectified quickly. Sometimes it may even emit a small amount of carbon monoxide into the house and create that smellburning dust. Common Furnace Smells Gas Smell This one is pretty straightforward. A leak could pose fire and pollution hazards in your home.

Trust your judgment and leave your home if there is a noticeable and strong increase in the odor over a short time. Its not uncommon to occasionally get a slight gas smell around gas fueled appliances and usually its the result of incomplete combustion. The blower motor has to work much harder when the filter is clogged which causes it to overheat. Here are some of the things that may cause the area around your furnace to emit this odor.

If the burning smell doesnt go away within a few hours there may be something else wrong with your heater or you may need to change your air filter. Its possible youre wife is picking up a trace of it when you cannot. Clogged Air Filter. Most homes dont have natural gas detectors so it is worth it to request emergency services if you are unsure.

If you are standing in proximity to the furnace then you may be able to smell the mercaptan. This indicates that a gas leak has been ongoing for some time. Some people are more sensitive to the mercaptan than others but the smell will be fleeting even for the most sensitive noses and you. Sometimes gas is released from your furnace every time you start it.

You need to take immediate precautions if you smell gas around your furnace as you wait for an expert in furnace repair. Whether the smell comes from your vents or from the furnace itself shut the unit off immediately. If you smell sulfur or rotten egg odor coming from your furnace or vents you may have a natural gas issue. It is detectable if you put your nose within a couple inches of the outside of the furnace.

Dust With your furnace being unused in spring and summer dirt dust and other impurities can collect in the heating. A few tweaks to the appliance and everything is good again. The same thing will likely happen when you turn on your gas fireplace for the first time in the fall too. When the When the thermostat is turned on the ignitor starts to glow red for a few seconds stops the gas cycles then the ignitor cycles again but for.

Also if your furnace isnt burning gas correctly you could end up with a carbon monoxide leak. When you turn on the furnace for the first time you might notice a slight gas smell while the furnace burns off the accumulated debris. Exhaust Pipe While an efficient furnace dissipates the natural gas through the exhaust pipe it can sometimes. A gas valve that is bypassing gas in other words it doesnt shut off 100 and secondly a bad heat exchanger allows the gas odor to get drawn into the air being blown through the ductwork.

In order for you to smell gas coming from your ductwork in your house there would have to be two conditions. Its pretty potent and pungent. A gas smell around the furnace is a sign of gas leaks. But this smell should go away pretty quick.

It smells sort of like gas but I guess it could be some other product of combustion. Hi I have noticed that right after the furnace shuts off there will be a slight smell that lingers. Sometimes simply changing the air filter on a furnace can keep it from putting off a burning smell. The first step should be to turn off the furnace via the thermostat and ventilate the house to get rid of the gas.

Originally Posted by asus389. Gas smells are typically normal when a furnace starts up but it could point to a gas leak. Sometimes the wind will cause the exhaust to blow back into an open window or an area that isnt sealed well. One very common cause of the smell is the exhaust from your furnace.

In an attempt to keep pushing air through the clogged filter a burning smell starts to develop because of the overheating. When you turn on your heater for the first time in the fall these dirt and dust particles will start burning off causing a slight burning smell. When your furnace turns on and ignites it is totally normal for it to emit an insignificant amount of gas each time. Rarely is it actually the fittings but its always worth checking them.

You should also turn off the main gas supply to the. Any time you smell gas throughout your home its important to evacuate your property immediately. One red flag is if you smell gas throughout your entire residence. When a furnace isnt actively heating dust and dirt can settle inside the unit and its parts.

Read more Jeffrey Towler Skilled trades Hvac trade school 576 satisfied customers. Heating system smells that smell like rotten eggs or sulfur indicates a natural gas leak.