Your heat pump shouldn’t smell particularly funky at any given time. In fact, as long as things are in fundamentally good shape, the heat pump in your Pigeon Forge, TN, home should not emit any kind of odor at all. Therefore, we’d like to tell you about the problems that various heat pump odors may suggest you have.
Burning
Heat pumps run on electricity, so this smell may be an ominous sign of an electrical fire. Even in less dire circumstances, burning smells may suggest that some of your system’s wires have lost their insulation, which could mean that stray sparks have begun firing out. You may also smell burning plastic, which likely means that loose electricity has begun melting some of your heat pump’s plastic components.
Given the extreme danger that this odor points to, we strongly recommend that you shut off your heat pump as soon as you notice it. Then, request help from trained HVAC service technicians.
Dirty Socks or Must
Musty, gym-like odors reliably signal that something is probably amiss with your heat pump’s evaporator coils. If unwanted biological organisms begin growing on the coils, this smell will be especially likely to arise. To make the odor go away, you will need to ask HVAC service technicians to clean the coils, which they can do as part of heat pump maintenance.
Ether
This is the characteristic smell of refrigerant. While in most cases, there are at least a few different explanations for what may be causing a given heat pump odor, this isn’t the case if you happen to smell ether in the air. It always means that your system is leaking refrigerant.
Since refrigerant is toxic, you should never try to fix any leaks by yourself. Instead, leave your home and ask for help from trained professionals.
Always depend on your nose to let you know that there’s trouble with your heat pump. If you notice unusual smells, something is likely wrong. Call LB Chase Mechanical today to get the best HVAC services around Pigeon Forge, TN.
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