Your ductwork carries conditioned air for your furnace or air conditioner throughout your house. But it can also carry strange smells form elsewhere in the house, and in many cases, that indicates trouble. Here in La Habra, CA, most residents are running their heaters every night, and a persistent bad small can ruin your home’s comfort levels. More importantly, it means that something is probably wrong elsewhere in the system and needs to be fixed before it creates bigger problems. Here are 3 possible causes of smells coming from your ducts.
1. Something Burning
In many cases, the smell of burning means that something got caught in the ducts and is responding to the heat of the air. It could be a child’s crayon, for instance of a piece of plastic. Other times, the burning smell can stem from an overloading component in the heater itself, which is why you should turn off the system and call a repair service before running the system again.
2. Something Moldy
Mold and bacteria can grow wherever there’s moisture and time. Your air conditioner may develop mold if it’s left unused, and it can also grow in the ducts themselves. Professional technicians use specialized equipment to detect mold and bacteria, and if it’s a recurring problem, in your home, you may wish to install an air cleaner or similar device.
3. Formaldehyde
A formaldehyde smell or similar chemical smell indicates a very serious problem. In most cases it indicates a cracked heat exchanger, which will leak carbon monoxide and similar poison into your home. Regardless, the moment you detect it, you should turn off your heating system and call for a service technician. A cracked heat exchanger is nothing to fool around with.
Contact the pros at JC Mechanical whenever you detect strange smells in your ducts.