Why does my heat smell like rotten eggs in my house?

If you notice a rotten egg or sulfur smell after turning on your furnace, this is a very serious concern. You may have a natural gas leak in your home. Why does it smell like that? Natural gas is odorless, so a harmless chemical (mercaptan) is added to give natural gas an odor, so you can easily detect a gas leak.

Why does my house smell like rotten eggs when the heat is on?

If you detect a sulfuric, rotten egg-like smell coming from your furnace, it is imperative that you act immediately, as you could be dealing with a gas leak. While natural gas is extremely combustible and one of the most efficient fuel sources for a furnace to run on, it is also highly toxic when ingested.

What do I do if my furnace smells like rotten eggs?

This smell is all too familiar to most people, but if you get a whiff of this in your home, it means there's a gas leak and it may be coming from your furnace. If your house smells like rotten eggs, get everyone out of the house immediately and call your gas company.

Should I be worried if my house smells like rotten eggs?

1) Rotten Eggs

This smell is probably septic gas, unless you have a carton of eggs hiding in your living room. Septic gas has a strong, naturally occurring odor that smells like rotten eggs. The smell is hydrogen sulfide, which comes from sewage and indicates a potential issue with your plumbing.

Why does my house smell like sewer when heat comes on?

Furnace smells like rotten eggs or like a sewer

The smell can indicate a failed heat exchanger, especially if you have a high-efficiency furnace. This is a serious problem because a bad heat exchanger can pump unsafe levels of dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) gas into your home.

Why Does my House, HVAC, Smell Like Rotten Eggs? Conditioned Air Solutions, Huntsville AL

Is it normal for heat in house to smell?

If you detect a dusty or mild burning smell when you turn on your heat, don't worry—this is normal. Your heating system has been sitting unused for the last few months, so dust, dirt, and debris have inevitably settled on the heat exchanger, burners, and other components of your heating system.

Can sewer smell in house make you sick?

Exposure to low levels of hydrogen sulfide causes irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract. Other symptoms include nervousness, dizziness, nausea, headache, and drowsiness. This gas smells like rotten eggs, even at extremely low concentrations.

Does carbon monoxide smell like rotten eggs?

Does carbon monoxide smell like rotten eggs? One reason carbon monoxide is so deadly is that it doesn't have a natural odor. The sulfurous, rotten-egg scent you sometimes smell in a pilot light or other natural gas is mercaptan. It's added to natural gas, so it's easier to know if there's a leak.

Why do I suddenly smell rotten eggs?

If you come home one day and smell rotten eggs, it's most likely hydrogen sulfide — the smell of sewer gas. If the issue isn't one of the ones mentioned above, then it's likely a sewer gas leak. Our noses tend to adjust to this smell quickly, so even if it disappears, there still could be a sewage problem.

Why is there a horrible smell coming from my heater?

The most common cause of a burning smell in a heater is dust. If you turn off your furnace or heating unit during the warmer months, it will collect dust. When this dust builds up on components like the heat exchanger or burners, your heater will emit a burning smell when you turn it on again.

Can electrical problems smell like rotten eggs?

Rotten Eggs

The two most common sources for rotten egg smell in the home are electrical components (inside of outlets for example) or a natural gas leak. Natural gas manufacturers are required to add a chemical, called mercaptan, to their gas in order to make it easier to detect a leak.

How do you fix rotten egg smell?

Using Chlorine

But concentrated chlorination treatment, which involves adding a limited supply of chlorine bleach to your water supply, can actually help get rid of that rotten egg smell. Once the chlorine has been added to your water supply, you simply let your water run until that rotten egg odor dissipates.

What does carbon monoxide smell like?

Carbon monoxide gas is colourless and does not smell, so you cannot tell if it is around you. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: headache.

Why does my house suddenly have a weird smell?

A weird smell in a house can come from numerous sources, including appliances, furniture, carpets, fabrics or issues like mold or mildew. Occasionally, odors may be caused by sewer gas, natural gas leaks or animals that have died between walls, in attics or under decks.

Why does my house smell like rotten eggs when I do laundry?

#5 Mold, Mildew, and Other Bacteria Building Up

Mold and mildew may be the cause of the rotten egg smell coming from your laundry room. As with any place that has high humidity — mold, mildew, and other fungi are more likely to flourish, particularly in darker, damp places.

What are two warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning?

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning? The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you.

Can a rotten egg smell be a gas leak?

Gas companies add a harmless chemical called mercaptan to give it its distinctive “rotten egg” smell. All natural gas and propane pipeline gas in Connecticut is odorized. If you smell gas near an appliance, it may be just a pilot light that has gone out or a burner valve that is open slightly.

What does electrical fire smell like?

An electrical fire smell is often described as a “burning plastic” smell. This is because when wires overheat, the insulation surrounding them begins to break down and release chemicals into the air. These chemicals can have a strong, acrid smell that can be difficult to ignore.

Will a carbon monoxide detector detect sewer gas?

Carbon monoxide detectors DO NOT detect sewer gas. These devices are designed to detect only the presence of carbon monoxide, and thus will not pick up on the other gases that are found in a sewer gas mixture.

What are the signs of sewer gas poisoning?

How do I get my house to stop smelling like sewer?

Can turning the heat on cause a fire?

The National Fire Protection Association says more than one in six home fires start from heating equipment, which is the second most common cause of a fire behind cooking. While most heating-related fires start from either space heaters or fire places, more than one out of every 10 starts with a central heating system.

What smells should I worry about in my house?

A musty or dusty smell is often a sign of mold or mildew, especially in humid or moisture-prone environments like the basement, laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom. Mold and mildew can create severe respiratory problems and can exacerbate allergies and asthma in sensitive individuals.

What does a bad furnace smell like?

Furnace smells like burning plastic—electrical problem, overheated motor or cracked heat exchanger. Gas smell from furnace—gas leak. Furnace smells like car exhaust—blocked exhaust pipe. Furnace smells like sewer—dry sewer trap or sewer leak.