Strange smells coming from furnace

01 - Furnace Blower Wheel and Housing

The spinning blower wheel will circulate the heated air throughout the home's venting. If something is obstructing the blower wheel and preventing it from turning the motor windings can overheat causing a burning smell in addition to prevent the air from circulating. Inspect the blower wheel and housing for any obstructions and confirm the wheel is properly seated on the motor shaft and can rotate freely.

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Common

02 - Furnace Blower Motor

The blower motor spins a blower wheel to circulate the heated air throughout the home's venting. If the motor is burned out, the air will not be circulated. You should try turning the blower wheel by hand to determine if it can rotate freely. If blower wheel does not turn freely, it's likely the blower motor bearings have seized and the motor will need to be replaced. You can also use a multimeter to determine if voltage is reaching the motor. If power is getting to the component, but the motor doesn't run, or smells burnt, it is likely defective.

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Common

03 - Furnace Draft Inducer Motor

The draft inducer motor draws air into the heat exchanger and then exhausts it out the flue. The pressure switch senses a pressure change and closes a switch to signal the control board that the furnace has proper air flow. If the draft inducer motor is defective, it may be unable to close the pressure switch, causing the ignition process to stall and the furnace to shut off after a few minutes. If the ignition process stalls, the furnace will shut off. If the draft inducer motor smells burnt, or has power but is not turning, replace it.

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Common

04 - Furnace Draft Inducer Motor Assembly

The draft inducer motor assembly draws air into the burner and then exhausts it out the flue. If the motor bearings are worn out and the motor will not turn or the motor windings are bad the inducer motor will create a burning smell. If the draft inducer motor assembly has a burning smell, replace it.

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Less Common

05 - Clogged Drain Tube or Drain Trap

Similar to a furnace central air coil, the heat exchanger also requires a condensate drain to keep the condensate water from building up in the collector box. If the drain gets clogged the water can become stagnate and cause the furnace to leak and smell bad.

Less Common

06 - Furnace Control Board

The control board regulates the power supply to all of the components of the furnace. If a component on the control board fails it can produce a burning smell. If the control board is burnt it will need to be replaced.

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Less Common

07 - Furnace Main Control Board

The main control board regulates the power supply to all of the components of the furnace. If a component on the control board fails it can produce a burning smell. If the control board is burnt it will need to be replaced.

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Less Common