Why does your furnace smell

Your furnace is supposed to keep your home comfortable and cozy during the winter season, but a nasty furnace smell can do just the opposite.

You may be wondering what that smell is and where it is coming from. The foul furnace smell must be somewhere in your furnace/duct system and is being circulated throughout the home by your furnace blower fan. The smell could be a variety of things and it is important to be able to distinguish between the dangerous smells and the ones that don’t do much harm.

Dangerous Furnace Smells

The smell of something burning or a strong dusty odour could indicate that there is something on fire. You should immediately check on your furnace and make sure that nothing is smoking or in flames. Your home’s smoke detector should do it’s job in detecting such an issue if it is in working condition, but it is best to check on your own to be certain. A dusty smell is common when turning on your furnace for the first time, but the smell should go away shortly. If the smell persists and does not go away then this could be a sign of it being necessary to clean out or replace your furnace’s air filter. If this does not solve your problem then the next step would be to call a service technician who will be able to help.

If what you are experiencing seems to be the smell of overheated metals or an electric smell, this is a sign that your furnace is too hot or that the airflow has become restricted and is not allowing for heat to escape the system. If this is the sort of furnace smell that you’re experiencing you should shut off the furnace immediately and contact an HVAC technician.

Another smell that is worth worrying about is the stench of rotten eggs. If you can smell the odour of rotten eggs coming from your ventilation system, this is most likely caused by a gas leak. Since natural gas is odourless, this rotten egg-like smell is added to it. In this case, you and everyone in the home should evacuate immediately, turn off the gas at the tank located outside, and make a call to a technician for further assistance. These precautions should also be taken when there is the smell of any other fuel in the home, such as oil.

Other Unpleasant Furnace Odours

The rest of the furnace smell listed below are not caused by the furnace itself, but rather by something that made its way into the system. Most of these smells can be stopped by just cleaning the ducts, but first you must find out what the root of the smell exactly is.

One of the most common of these scents and possibly the one you’ll be least thrilled to find the source of is the scent of small birds or rodents. These small and sneaky creatures often make an unwelcomed visit to the vents and attics of homes. This will lead to the putrid stench of a dead animal lingering through your ventilation system and the rest of your home. The first step would be to remove its remains from the system. Next you should clean out that area of the air ducts and then remove the smell from your home by leaving some doors and windows open to allow air flow.

If the terrible smell you are experiencing is from wastewater or sewage, the root of the scent may be in an open sewer line or broken black-water line somewhere close to an intake used by your furnace. Take a look around the external vents and your furnace to see if that’s the problem. This can be solved by calling a plumber to close off the sewer line.

It is no secret that your beloved house pet, whether it be a cat, dog, or anything in between, can leave some unwanted sights and smells throughout the home. The source of this smell may be from your pet’s urine, waste, or excess hair. If whenever your furnace is running you can sense the smell of pet urine or excrement, you  should look around near any floor level vents. This smell will be picked up if its source is near a vent. This problem is rather easy to solve, just clean up the mess and the smell is gone.

Get A Quote

 

If you are in need of assistance with a furnace repair or are looking for a replacement in Ontario, DeMark Home Ontario is here to help. We provide quick and efficient furnace service and replacement performed by our highly trained and experienced technicians. Call us at 647-847-2998 or fill out online request form and we will be happy to assist you with your request.

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Furnace noise you should be aware of

Unusual furnace noise is something many people pass on as not being a big deal, but really it could indicate that there’s a much bigger underlying problem.

Your furnace usually produces a moderately quiet humming or buzzing noise, this is totally okay, it just means that your furnace is on and is working. Any other furnace noise besides this humming sound is what could indicate that there’s a problem with your home’s furnace unit. But how do you know if the noises you’re hearing are evidence of a problem? Below we have compiled a list of furnace noises that could indicate that you may need a furnace repair.

 

• Bangs: Banging noises are a good sign of some loose and/or broken parts. The loose parts are left bouncing and banging around inside of your furnace system and can often break other furnace components by doing so. Loose/broken parts can leave you with enormous repair costs and can even lead to a full furnace replacement being necessary.

• Continuous rattling: A failing blower motor is the likely culprit behind this sound. This noise is an obvious warning that your furnace will give out completely in the near future and leave you without heat.

• Squealing: The sound of an unusual squeal is most likely the result of a furnace component not being lubricated or maintained properly. This can lead to some major problems and complications as some parts can cause serious damage if they aren’t properly lubricated.

• Booms: Furnaces making a boom sound is particularly seen in old gas furnace models. This sound is a delay in ignition in your gas furnace, which can be extremely dangerous. It is necessary that you call in for a furnace repair immediately.

• Persistent clicks: When your furnace turns on and off it is normal for it to produce a rapid clicking noise, this is not to worry about. Although, it is out of the ordinary if this sound persists for over a minute. If this is the case then you most likely have an electrical problem.

• Screeches: More often than not a screech noise is made because of a damaged or worn down belt in your furnace. Although this sound is very annoying, it deals the least damage to your furnace than the other noises on this list. If you are hearing this noise you should get the damaged belt replaced because once it does break you will remain without heat until there is a replacement.

• Fluttering: This is a sound is not easy to reproduce in typing, but it sounds similar to how cardboard would sound in a revolving bike tire. Obviously the sound coming from your furnace has no relation to a bike tire, but it is most likely the sound of debris stuck in your furnace’s fan.

 

Any furnace noise that is out of the ordinary even if it is not listed here could indicate a problem within your furnace system. These warning signs are not to be taken lightly because they could cause serious trouble. If you are hearing some troublesome sounds coming from your furnace give us a call at (647) 847-2998 and a professional furnace technician from DeMark Home Ontario will be at your doorstep in no time.

Get A Quote

 

If you are in need of a furnace repair or replacement in Ontario, DeMark Home Ontario is here to help. We provide efficient and quick HVAC repairs or replacements performed by our team of highly trained and experienced technicians. To book your appointment just give us a call or fill out our online request form and we will be happy to assist you.

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How to Shut Down Central AC for the Winter Season

A frequently asked question we receive when customers are preparing for the cold weather ahead is how to properly shut down their central AC system for the winter season?

By following the steps below we can assure you that your central AC will be shut down currently and you will be ready for the season approaching:

• First you should turn off the cooling system. This is done by simply using your thermostat’s settings to turn the cooling setting from on to off.
• Check your heating and cooling system’s air filter for any dirt. If you notice that your filters appear to be dirty you should replace them with brand new high quality air filters. If you are unsure of what filter size is best for your central AC system, you can contact one of our experienced technicians by phone and we will be glad to assist you.
• If your home’s central AC system uses a humidifier, switch it from the summer/closed mode to the winter/open mode.
• Outside of your home, typically connected to the side of your home, you will find an electrical disconnect box. Switch the electrical disconnect box’s power off to the outside air conditioner condensing unit.
• The final step would be to return to your thermostat and adjust it to the “heat” position and set it to your desired temperature. The humidistat can now also be set to your desired humidity. Now your home is ready to take on the cold winter season that is quickly approaching.

Get A Quote

 

If you need further assistance with preparing your home’s central AC and heating system for the winter season or are noticing any problems with regards to your heating and cooling system, DeMark Home Ontario will be glad to be the solution to all your HVAC problems. Give us a call at (647) 847-2998 or fill out our online request form and one of our friendly associates will help solve your problems shortly, whether it be regarding the AC shutdown process, annual maintenance, furnace/AC replacement, or any of your other HVAC needs.

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get total piece of mind with our High Efficiency Furnace and Air Conditioner Rental Program.

 

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Your Home Heating and Fire Safety Tips

Knowing the do’s and don’ts of your home heating system is more important than you may think.

The leading cause of fires in the home is the improper use of heating equipment. These fires often happen during the winter season as this is when you’ll be using your home heating system most frequently. This winter season, DeMark Home Ontario not only wants to keep you warm, but also safe from fire hazards in your home. The following is a list of ten tips that can help keep your home free from the risk of fires this winter season and all others that follow.

Tips for your furnace:

• Have your furnace checked and tuned up on a regular basis to keep it working as efficiently and safely as possible. Many problems which homeowners experience regarding their furnace system is due to a lack of maintenance.

• If there are any odd smells in the air of your home such as the smell of burning plastic, you should shut off your furnace immediately. Odd smells in the air of your home could indicate that there is a problem with your home heating system. If you believe that there is a problem with your home’s furnace then you should contact us as soon as possible and we can have the problem solved in no time.

• There should be at least three feet of open space around your furnace at all times. You should also be especially cautious with storing flammable materials or objects anywhere near your furnace. Your furnace obviously heats up when it’s operating and the objects around it may also heat up and even set on fire.

• Install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in your home. To be sure that these pieces of equipment are working correctly they should be tested on a monthly basis.

• Don’t forget to change your furnace’s air filter. How often you should change your filter depends on the filter itself. It may need to be changed every month, bi-monthly, quarterly, etc. If you are unsure of how often your air filter needs to be changed, feel free to contact our furnace technicians for assistance.

Tips for other sources of heat:

• Kerosene and propane heaters should never be used inside the home. These types of heaters can give off carbon monoxide and are extremely dangerous for indoor use.

• Have your fireplace or woodstove chimney professionally cleaned as often as necessary. How often you should have your fireplace or woodstove chimney cleaned depends on the type of fuel being used.

•  Always use the correct fuel type for your wood burning stove or fireplace. Never burn wood in your gas fueled fireplace. You should also never throw any sort of trash into your fireplace or stove.

• Before cleaning out ashes from your wood burning stove or fireplace, ensure that the fire is entirely out. You should never put the hot ashes in containers made from wood or plastic, using a metal container is the safest way to clean out the ashes. You should keep the hot ashes in the metal container for at least a full day before pouring them out.

•  Your oven and stove should NEVER be used to heat your home. Even when there is a problem with your home’s furnace, you should never resort to using your oven and stove as a heater. Using these appliances as a heater can be very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Get A Quote

 

If you are interested in more fire safety tips regarding your home’s furnace system, are in need of a furnace inspection, furnace replacement, or have any other HVAC needs, DeMark Home Ontario will be glad to assist you and provide you with only the best solution to your problems. You can leave a quote online or call us at (647) 847-2998 and one of our friendly associates will be happy to help you.

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