If you suspect your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide, call a professional to have it checked out immediately. If you smell something pungent, hear odd noises coming from your furnace, or start to feel sick while in your home, it could be a sign that you're dealing with carbon monoxide.
Over time, as your furnace operates, dust and debris accumulate within the system, including the burners, heat exchanger, and ductwork. If left unaddressed, these particles can circulate throughout your home, reducing air quality and potentially triggering allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions.
Symptoms of Heater Sickness
Here are a few common symptoms to keep an eye out for: Coughing and sneezing. Sinus infections. Allergy symptoms.
Respiratory Issues
Did you know that an old or broken furnace can be linked to breathing problems among your household? If your heating system isn't working properly, it can pump dust, mold, and other pathogens into your home air supply. This can cause asthma to worsen, and other breathing related illnesses to pop up.
#1 Moisture and Condensation
Increased moisture within the home is a sign that your furnace venting isn't adequate. Without proper ventilation, fumes from the furnace leak into your home and cause condensation. This moisture is most notable in the morning and when you first turn on your heating unit.
While carbon monoxide is a normal byproduct of the combustion heating process, furnaces are designed to keep this gas enclosed and vent it outside the home. A broken furnace can allow carbon monoxide to mix with the home's indoor air supply, creating a potentially deadly situation.
If your HVAC system smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, a natural gas leak is likely the cause. This odor is added to gas to alert people of dangerous leaks. Open the windows of your home and vacate immediately. Never stay in a home with a potential gas leak.
But before you fire it up, be prepared that feeling nice and toasty may also come with a stuffy nose, dry throat, cough or even a headache. These cold-like symptoms are referred to as "heater sickness." “This happens because dust, pollen and other allergens accumulate in your ducts during the warmer months,” Dr.
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO, it can make you pass out or kill you.
Fortunately, gas companies put mercaptan in gas, so you can smell it. This substance makes the gas smell like sulfur, or rotten eggs. This is usually a telltale sign that you have a gas leak in your home. Natural gas is odorless, so if you had a leak without this substance, you wouldn't be able to smell it.
You should expect to spend between $3,800 and $12,00 on a new furnace, including both the unit and installation costs. Factors influencing the price include the type of furnace (gas, electric, or oil), the unit's efficiency rating, and the complexity of the installation.
If your furnace smells like car exhaust or smoke, shut it off as soon as possible and let fresh air into your home. Your furnace uses an exhaust pipe to release combustion gases. If the pipe is blocked, the gases will flow back into your house.
Chemical/Burning Plastic Furnace Smells
If you smell a strange, acrid, burning plastic smell from your furnace, you may have an electrical issue: electrical components, particularly the blower fan, cycle on and off frequently. Over time, these components can wear out and become inefficient or perform poorly.
If your furnace is not burning properly or if the exhaust vent is blocked or damaged, CO can leak into your home and build up to dangerous levels. CO can cause a range of symptoms, such as: Headache. Dizziness.
As mentioned earlier, Freon leaks may produce a faint, sweet odor, similar to acetone or nail polish remover. If you detect this scent near your HVAC system or air vents, it may indicate a refrigerant leak.
Any furnace that burns fuel produces carbon monoxide as a byproduct. This is the same for any appliance in your home that burns fuel, such as a gas range. Therefore, if your furnace uses natural gas, propane, or oil to make heat, your furnace creates carbon monoxide.
These most common furnace odors include: Burning or metallic smell. Gas or rotten eggs. Dust.
If the furnace exhaust can't provide proper airflow, there won't be enough oxygen for complete fuel combustion. Partially combusted gas molecules can pose a health hazard in your home if the furnace exhaust pipe can't disperse them outside.
Burner flames yellow instead of clear blue – If the burner flames on natural gas-fired appliances such as your furnace, water heater, or stove are showing as mostly yellow instead of clear blue, this can be an indication of backdrafting.