Odor From Heating Ducts

If you notice a musty or moldy smell that goes away when you are not using your air conditioning or heating if they share ducts that can narrow the cause down to mold in your hvac system.

Odor from heating ducts.

If your hvac unit smells like it might be overheating it very well could be. In many cases you ll smell it before you can see it. Tracking down building odors associated with the heating or cooling ductwork can be tricky not only because there is a larger variety of possible sources of duct smells and stinky ducts than you might guess but also because once an odor source has invaded the hvac system smells can be delivered to other more remote building areas. Usually this is the result of gaps in the ducts caused by rust or other damage.

Dealing with odors coming from heating vents can be maddening particularly when the odor smells of rotten eggs or dead animals you d like to think your house is not only clean but tightly sealed against invasion from the outside. There are a number of reasons why musty smells might be coming from your air ducts system. First check the air filter to see if it is very dirty as this can restrict the air flow and overheat the electric resistance heaters. The quicker you detect the decomposition the better.

But the most common cause of a musty smell in ductwork is the presence of mold in your hvac system. Turn your unit off before attempting to diagnose the problem. Contact a professional hvac or pest management company immediately. Air ducts in a ventilation system are designed to transport air so that you feel more comfortable in your home.

If the mold problem is quite severe you should be able to spot the growth around the ducts in the vents and the other parts of the ductwork. Here are 5 common hvac odors and what they indicate. Next open some doors and windows for ventilation. If there is mold in your hvac system you should be able to smell the strange musty odor in multiple adjacent rooms.

Rotting carcass or dirty trash smells. This article will guide you through the process of finding out whether or not you have mold in your air ducts and what you can do about it. Unfortunately though microbes and mice often find a way into walls and heating systems from the surrounding soil. However sometimes you will notice not so desirable smells coming from your air duct system.

Inspect all the ducts connected to your heating system so make sure there are no gaps. If a critter has died in your hvac or duct system the smell will quickly become impossible to ignore. First turn off the ac system. Ducts of this kind are often used with a forced air furnace or a central heating and cooling system.