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Identifying Boiler Issues with your Nose

Your boiler provides you with warmth and comfort throughout the harsh winter season. Although you may not pay much heed to it while it’s there, it’s something that you will definitely miss when it’s gone.

Therefore, it’s vital that you keep it in the best condition at all times. Sometimes, water heater issues can manifest in ways that you may not have thought was possible. In fact, you may not even realize the immediate connection at first. There are times when homeowners let issues slide because they don’t think that it has anything to do with their boiler. Before you know it, however, the problem will have gotten out of hand.

One sign that many people overlook when it comes to their boiler system is the smell. After all, what can smell really say about the condition of the device?

In this article, we’ll discuss three distinct scents that you should keep a nose out for, as they may indicate that your unit is not functioning as it should. With that said, let’s get to it.

A Burning Smell

Boilers generate heat from a metal coil inside the unit, so when dust, debris or other particles come into contact with the coil, they will burn. This is a normal occurrence, so you can expect to smell it once every so often. A burning smell that goes away by itself within 20 to 30 minutes is nothing to worry about.

When it is a recurring incident however, the smell may indicate that there’s an issue with the furnace burner or the air filter. If there are a lot of dust particles in the air, it may pile up inside the heating unit. Once the clump of dust falls onto the furnace, it will burn and send the fumes throughout the room. Therefore, you should look to change your filters every three months to make sure that this doesn’t keep happening. If the problem persists, call in a technician to take a look inside the appliance.

A Musty Smell

If your boiler smells rather musty, chances are that the scent is due to a buildup of mildew inside the heater unit. This is often an issue with a boiler that hasn’t been turned on in a while and it’s a cause for concern.

Mould spores and mildew can cause respiratory problems and it increases the risk of cold and flu, especially in those with a weak immune system. People with allergies will cough and sneeze more often in such an environment, seeing as they are more sensitive to airborne allergens. To solve this problem, clean out the ventilation pipe, the evaporator, and the furnace coil inside the heater to get rid of every trace of mildew and mould inside the unit. If the problem doesn’t go away after the cleaning, you know who to call.

A Rotten Egg Smell

If the scent of rotten eggs wafts across the room when you turn on your boiler, there is a possibility of a gas leak from the unit. This is highly dangerous, as it means that there’s a flammable gas inside your home.

We suggest you turn off the boiler, get out of the house, and call an inspection service immediately. Fun fact: natural gases don’t have any smell. The rotten egg scent is actually added to the gas to make it more noticeable and warn the residents of a gas leak.

If you’re looking for a boiler repair service in Liverpool, Causeway Heating is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.