What To Do If Your Furnace Smells Like Gas

If your furnace has a burning odor when you first turn it on for the season, it is usually because the dust in your unit is burning off. This odor usually fades away after just a couple of minutes. This is a very normal smell when turning on your furnace for the first time in a while. You may want to consider cleaning your system if you smell this odor for a much longer period of time, or hire a professional to clean your unit for you. However, if you smell anything other than this type of odor, such as natural gas, you need to take immediate action. Read on for what you should do if you smell gas when you turn on your furnace.

Turn Off The Furnace

Turn off your furnace immediately and don't turn it back on until you can get someone out to your home to check your unit and to sniff out your gas leak if you do in fact have one. Turn off the furnace carefully, then call your local gas company to have someone check for a leak. They usually do this free of charge, but it's best to be safe than sorry, no matter the cost. 

Have Your Furnace Repaired

If there was a leak in your gas line, you'll have to have this repaired. If it's a leak in your furnace or something is broken in your furnace that is causing this issue, you need to have this repaired as well. Call a professional HVAC company to have your furnace repaired properly. Don't attempt to make this type of repair yourself, and instead hire a professional service to do this work. You want this repair to be done properly to ensure your family is safe once you turn your furnace back on.

Prevent Future Issues

Prevent an issue in the future by taking good care of your furnace. You need to be sure you are changing your furnace filter and having your furnace checked throughout the year, as well as thoroughly cleaned by a professional HVAC technician.

This type of issue can happen to anyone at any time. If you smell a gas leak in your furnace, get out of your home and call your local gas company to have the leak sniffed out, then have your furnace repaired by a professional serviceman.

For more information about heating services, contact a local HVAC company.