Finally Turning up the Heat!
As a Floridian, it’s very nearly your heater’s time to shine. This means several things of course: you’ll need to dig up your winter hoodie, and you might want to purchase some air fresheners. You’ve done this before, and there will be burnt dust. Makes sense; it’s been sitting idle for most of the year. But while the smell of burning dust might not be cause for alarm, it’s worth remembering that you are turning something on that you haven’t thought about in many months.
What’s that Smell?
Burning dust has a pretty distinctive smell, and it will burn off and air out after a few hours. Similarly, small amounts of dirt are unlikely to be a problem. But if you notice that the smell persists for more than a few hours, or you can’t quite put your finger on the smell, your heater might be trying to tell you something. A good place to start is checking (and changing) your filters. This will also put you in a better place to see if that smell starts to get musty, as mold is also a common culprit of HVAC-related odors in Florida. When getting a heating or ac installation you don’t have to worry about mold damaging your units, however mold or any other kind of air quality issue is certainly a concern for your health and comfort. Your air filters play a big role in helping to mitigate this, and a mold problem could well have started as an HVAC unit that needed to be replaced. Regular maintenance, including scheduling routine inspections and considering a professional ac repair service, can ensure your system operates efficiently and helps prevent mold issues. In more extreme cases, you’ll need to start with an air quality test and get a commercial hvac service company for repairs.
If you have water damage, it is important to act quickly. The longer water sits, the more damage it can do. Mold can start growing within 24-48 hours, so it is important to call a water damage restoration specialist as soon as possible.
Smells that Are Cause for Alarm
The smells to watch out for are the smells of burning plastic and “electrical smells” or anything reminiscent of smoke, oil, or gas.
You could get these smells with something as benign as an errant toy or some other object pressed against a hot surface, but it can also be indicative of a more serious problem, such as an overheated element or cracked heat exchanger. You’ll want to check your ducts for any foreign objects, but if you can’t find any likely culprits, then you will want to call an expert to have it inspected.
If you smell oil, gas, or smoke, you need to take immediate action. This could be the result of your gas or oil heating systems breaking down or cracking and this can cause some serious damage if not handled correctly and right away.
Furthermore, foul or unusual odors coming from the your water heater unit could indicate problems with combustion or other internal components which are warning signs to replace a water heater. That will require services from a home water heater repair expert.
Regular Maintenance and Inspection
Overall, in Florida, it comes down to how infrequently we use our heaters leading to us being a little lax in their care and maintenance. Always check your ducts and filters. Getting heating and air conditioning repair done when necessary and cleaning or replacing your filters every month is the best way to keep your systems safe.