What is that smell when my furnace starts up for the first time in ten months?
December 11, 2012 4:25 PM Subscribe
What is the smell which the furnace in my apartment generates when I fire it up for the first time in ten months?
Last night was the first time I used my furnace since March. Upon ignition there was a unique strong (but not strongly unpleasant--it is not pleasant but it isn't really unpleasant) smell. When I woke up this morning the smell was gone although the furnace was running. I am guessing it is the smell of the household dust fraction which is my sloughed skin cells burning up. I suppose I could verify this experimentally, but I was wondering if there is good accessible information out there on the internet or in the metafilter hive mind to what is what with this?
Last night was the first time I used my furnace since March. Upon ignition there was a unique strong (but not strongly unpleasant--it is not pleasant but it isn't really unpleasant) smell. When I woke up this morning the smell was gone although the furnace was running. I am guessing it is the smell of the household dust fraction which is my sloughed skin cells burning up. I suppose I could verify this experimentally, but I was wondering if there is good accessible information out there on the internet or in the metafilter hive mind to what is what with this?
yup, burning dust.
posted by sexyrobot at 4:28 PM on December 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by sexyrobot at 4:28 PM on December 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
Agreed, burning dust (and cobwebs, etc.).
posted by Brian Puccio at 4:32 PM on December 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Brian Puccio at 4:32 PM on December 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
In my house I figure its burning dog hair. I always run it for a day or two then change the filter.
posted by fshgrl at 4:32 PM on December 11, 2012
posted by fshgrl at 4:32 PM on December 11, 2012
Burning dust, yeah.
posted by limeonaire at 5:21 PM on December 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by limeonaire at 5:21 PM on December 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I figure it's dust and cat hair. (I also kind of like the smell.)
posted by sarcasticah at 5:31 PM on December 11, 2012
posted by sarcasticah at 5:31 PM on December 11, 2012
Spiders. Poor spiders who invested in the wrong housing development.
posted by JimmyJames at 5:46 PM on December 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
posted by JimmyJames at 5:46 PM on December 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
You really should take the panels off to see if it is only dust. I do that every year BEFORE turning on the heat. One year it was those ladybug-type things, another year it was millipedes, then camel crickets, then a ratsnake, Probably harmless to breathe, but still...
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:24 PM on December 11, 2012
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:24 PM on December 11, 2012
Mouse poop and pee.
No really you'd be surprised.
posted by Max Power at 6:32 PM on December 11, 2012
No really you'd be surprised.
posted by Max Power at 6:32 PM on December 11, 2012
Remember to change your filters frequently. Especially of you have pets!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:47 PM on December 11, 2012
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:47 PM on December 11, 2012
We once fried a bat in our furnace.
But yeah. Filters. You're probably not changing them often enough.
posted by dhartung at 11:35 PM on December 11, 2012
But yeah. Filters. You're probably not changing them often enough.
posted by dhartung at 11:35 PM on December 11, 2012
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posted by JujuB at 4:28 PM on December 11, 2012 [11 favorites]