09/16/2026
First time firing up the furnace this fall and caught a whiff of something burning? Totally normal, most likely. Dust settles on the heat exchanger over the summer, and when the furnace kicks back on, that dust burns off, kind of like the smell you get running the oven after months of not using it. It should fade within 20-40 minutes. But if it lingers past a full heating cycle, smells like hot plastic or electrical wiring, or smells like rotten eggs (that one means leave the house and call your gas utility), those aren't dust and are worth paying attention to. ๐