Why Does My Heater Smell Burnt?

The smell of burning at home has to alert you at once and motivate the owner to track the source of the issue. When it comes out of your heater, it may be dangerous and requires a quick solution. A burning electrical smell could mean you have a serious electrical problem. If your unit is damaged or defective, the blower motor can overheat, which would explain the smell. It could also just be damaged electrical wiring. Even more troubling, an electrical burning smell can be a sign of a cracked heat exchanger – a serious and potentially dangerous problem. Get help. An electrical burning smell is a symptom of a serious problem. Turn off your unit immediately and call an expert for help. Don’t confuse it with a burning dust smell. This smell is most common when you turn on your heating unit for the first time of the season. After a long period of time without use, dust and other debris can settle on the heat exchanger, burners and other heating components. You may get a smoky odor as these particles burn off. This kind of smell mustn’t worry you. That smoky odor should stop once all dust and other particles are burned away. If the smell lingers over time or gets worse – turn off your unit and call your heating and cooling expert for emergency maintenance.