Why is my apt. filling up with a light smoke and burning smell when I turn on my heater?

Question

Use the heater on a daily basis
Central heat
Makes loud noise
Super strong burning smell (stronger than when the heater hasn't been used in awhile)

Answer 1

Sounds like your heat exchanger have hole(s) in it due to age and corrosion. The heat exchanger is normally made of steel. Age and moisture slowly rusts it to the point where small holes develop. Then the forced air carries the odor of open flame/nichrome wire heat smell combined with hot rust smell into the vents. The noise comes from further accelerated oxidation of steel into rust by extreme heat (expansion, rust is more than 10 times the volume of steel). Sounds like it's time for a HVAC guy to inspect your heat exchanger.

Answer 2

its pretty normal.. gathers dust on the heating elements during the summer its recommended that you turn it on every so often to keep this from happening.The loud noise could be the fan coming on and could have bad bearings . get your landlord to have it checked for fan replacement but im almost sure the other is dust accumulation unless you have been storing something in that closet that caught fire.You aren't suppose to store anything in there around the heating unit but it makes a wonderful catch all and usually causes things to explode that are stored there or catch fire but in your case sounds pretty normal for first use..

Answer 3

Maybe something died in there.. I suggest calling a professional asap. If you're smelling something burning you might want to try to not use it too much (especially if you aren't home) until someone comes to fix it.

Answer 4

need to call the HVAC company out. It could be a number of things, whatever it is it doesnt sound good or safe.

Answer 5

That,s not right,You need to call a plumber to have a look at the boiler.