Five Reasons Your Furnace Might Smell

November 29, 2023

A strange odor when you run your heater can be alarming. If you’ve noticed something off about the air in your home, knowing what different smells mean can help you pinpoint which HVAC repairs your unit might need.

The top four most common furnace odors are broken down below to give you a better idea of what’s going on with your heating system.

If Your Furnace Smells Like Mold or Mildew

Mold can be caused by everything from a leaky pipe under the sink to a dirty coil in your furnace. While not all mold can cause illness or allergies, it’s still important to maintain your plumbing and HVAC systems to keep mold and mildew at bay.

If you’ve noticed a funky, mildew-y smell when you turn on your heater, you could have a mold problem. Regular HVAC inspections will ensure that your filters, coils and ducts are clean and dry to eliminate mold.

If Your Heater Smells Like Rotten Eggs

A rotten egg smell in your home requires an immediate call to your HVAC technician. The smell of a rotten egg is indicative of mercaptan, a chemical added to natural gas by utility companies to indicate a carbon monoxide leak. Since carbon monoxide is odorless, mercaptan is added to make leaks easily identifiable. 

If you notice this odor, immediately shut off all gas appliances and evacuate your home until your HVAC technician arrives.

If Your HVAC Unit Has a Sour Scent

A sour smell points to a problem with your heat exchanger: the component that transfers heat from the combustion chamber into the air blowing into your home. Not only does a sour smell indicate poor efficiency, but it could also point to a carbon monoxide leak. Noticing it means you should leave the property and get a repair person in as soon as possible.

If You Need HVAC Repairs For a Dusty Smell 

A  slight dusty smell when you turn on your furnace for the first time in a while is typical. On the other hand, a consistent dusty odor means it’s time for an HVAC maintenance appointment.

Annual heater maintenance is vital for keeping your air clean and your furnace operating efficiently. The ProFlo team is recognized across Temecula Valley for stellar HVAC and plumbing services and an even better customer experience. From minor HVAC repairs to heater replacement, our team has you covered. Call us today at 951-694-1300 or contact us online to schedule an appointment today.

 

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ProFlo Air is amazing. We have worked with them on a couple of projects including our heat exchangers for our swimming pool (…) Now, our pool is heated whenever we turn on our AC. I recently needed a new AC unit for upstairs and ProFlo was there for me as my husband recently passed away… He even sent me flowers as I grieved the loss of my husband. Now that’s going above and beyond. I would highly recommend ProFlo Air. Thanks for being GREAT ProFlo

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Called several companies and Proflo was the only one to call us back. They were so great and fast. Anthony got our unit up and running and gave us a lot of helpful information. We also signed up for their yearly inspection. We’re feeling very happy to have found such a great company! Anthony is awesome! Thank you!

Julie Spice

Contacted ProFlo through Yelp via email on Sunday (Fathers Day) late afternoon about our AC unit and the fan not turning. Carissa was very quick to reply in just a few minutes and set up an appointment the very next day. Anthony came out and had us quickly up and running. Anthony was great and explained everything he was checking, and showed us the results, every step of the way. He was very friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend anyone to check them out!

Rob S. from Temecula, CA

It has been a few years since they installed a new HVAC system in our home and we love it. The overall professionalism and quality of work was outstanding. Bonus is how much we are saving with a quality & efficient system. Highly recommend!
Also, we signed up for the scheduled maintenance program. They provide a complete and detailed service. Excellent.

Jack Munroe

I had Jared come out for a plumbing inspection – he was very thorough and did a great job of diagnosing a water hammer I was having.  The problem was quickly resolved.  They were very conscious about the house and did a great job of cleaning up.

(…) He did an excellent job of reviewing my system and explaining all of the various checks he was conducting.  He is very knowledgable and took the time to completely explain any issues he noticed or future items I should be concerned about.

I highly recommend ProFlo as I was very happy and satisfied with their service!

Patrick N. from Temecula, CA

(…) Brian junior came out, and handled our air conditioning unit, very professionally, great service, and good pricing. He was able to fix the problem that the other Plumber left us. Brian just came out to look at our mini split for a different reason, and most plumbers would charge $150 just to come out and look he didn’t charge anything, and is not a nickel and dime or he’s an honest man with an honest, reputable great company. I can’t recommend them more highly. You will not be dissatisfied, 100%. I’m thankful we found them through our good friend;)

Olga Diaz

Bryan was professional, on time, informative, respectful, and very knowledge. He gave me a very detailed explanation and walk thru of the issues along with very reasonable costs. Within no time he got our AC back up and running with nice cold air. I highly recommend. Definitely grateful to have the owner personally work on the unit and hear about the rich history of his family owned business.

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I love ProFlo Services! They have done a wonderful job with every service they have performed. I trust them and that’s a rare these days. They have fixed other so called professional company’s mistakes. I highly recommend them! They have integrity!

Kelly Mahoney

I have hired Proflo AC for both Ac work and Plumbing. I have been significantly impressed with both the quality of work and the of course the price. (…) Fair pricing. The quality of work on the other hand is top notch. Most recently, Josh and his team came out to install a mini split. They were on time, communicated well, and most of all the installation went off without a hitch from start to finish. As a local business owner, I highly highly recommend giving these guys a call. I have had work done by other local companies in the past, to say I was not satisfied is an understatement, thankfully I have found my new AC and plumbing guys! Next Im having them do a bunch of work on my house. Don’t just think about it, hire them.

Randy F.

I had a great experience with this company, they were very responsive from day one . Enrique was very willing to accommodate requested services and made sure everything was done right . He fixed my issue quickly, walked me through everything he was working on and was very transparent about pricing. I would highly recommend this company.

Axcel Flores

Bryan set an appointment with us and showed up on time. He went through what we had and then suggested the Carrier package. Within the hour he gave us a bid. We agreed I would have a decision in a few days. Once I approved Bryan again came to our home along with his son Bryan Jr.And one of his field supervisors. They were extremely professional and I knew they would be trustworthy. Our system was installed in 2 days. The crew was very professional and ensured everything they did was complete and the area cleared and clean. The customer service is excellent and we are now enjoying a quiet and great system. I would highly recommend the Proflo team.

John F.

The crew was on time, took great pains to cover surfaces that would receive debris from duct cleaning and duct replacement along with the HVAC. The team was professional, efficient, worked tirelessly and took the time to show us how the system worked after cleaning up and before departing… We appreciate that this was done on the day before Thanksgiving, when most folks are traveling to family or preparing food for the holiday!

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