Haven't used the heat of course all summer but today was a bit chilly and I decided to turn on the heat. Well, after it was on for like 5 minutes I started smelling this nasty smell not like gas or anything alarming like that...but almost like ammonia. I moved into this house in February and had the heater on then and I remember smelling something then too....Is there something I can do to clean out the vents?
2007-09-17 09:26:52 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Cleaning & Laundry
ok well I figured out why its ammonia...because my cat likes to go down there and pee near the furnace....(I rent a house) and the landlord must have put kitty litter near the furnace at one point (maybe to soak up oil or whatever) so my cat has been using it as a kitty box! So its not IN the furnace but its somehow getting through to our vents and upstairs.....so how do I ge trid of this? Will it always come out of the vents even after i clean up the damn kitty litter!?
2007-09-17 09:32:44 · update #1
Unless your kitty used the actual vent as a litter box, after you clean up the litter and use one of those enzyme type cleaners that they sell for "accidents", you should not smell anything. Mother's Little Miracle works well and you can find it a pet stores and baby stores.
2007-09-17 11:08:42 · answer #1 · answered by Susan M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you don't use a furnace for heating but the fan is on occasionally, you can get a build-up of particulate matter on the heat exchanger that stinks when you finally do turn on the heat. For example, the intake for our furnace is in a hallway next to the bathroom where my wife uses hair spray all the time. We keep the furnce fan on a lot to circulate air in the house and, when she uses the hair spray, I can smell it coming out of the various vents throughout the house. So, I know that there is probably a layer of hair spray and dust in the furnace.
Whenever you haven't used a furnace for a while and you think you might be using it again soon, you should test run it on a day when you can open the windows to air the house out while. If there is anything stuck to the heat exchanger, it will have to burn off before the smell will go away.
Of course, you can also call a heating company to come out and clean your vents, too. But, they will probably just let any surface buildup on the heat exchanger burn away (they may try cleaning it somewhat, but there will still be some kind of residue on it when they turn it on).
Oh, and definitely move that cat box or kitty litter.
2007-09-17 09:47:50 · answer #2 · answered by Paul in San Diego 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Clean it really well with TSP trisodiumphospate(use Savogran brand, some of the other brands are diluted and do not work well. You can get it at Home Depot.) Then spray it with Natures Miracle (be sure to get the kind made specifically for cats). It may still smell a little at first but in a few days the smell will be gone for good. There are enzymes in the Natures Miracle that actually eat up all the kitty waste. Good luck!!
2007-09-17 11:51:24 · answer #3 · answered by BERT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've got to get the rat out or it will smell until it is dried. If you have a good idea of where it is you can cut a hole with a utility knife. Don't just smash a hole in the wall. Carefully and cleanly cut a rectangular hole so the patch can be done easily. Save the piece you cut out. Remove the rat carcass and spray with disinfectant/deodorizer. Let the area air out over night. Patch by gluing a board across the opening on the inside of the wall. Secure the board with some drywall screws from the front. Screw the patch piece to the board. Fix the cracks with spackle and tape. Solve the rat problem.
2016-05-17 06:40:01 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's most likely time to have the ducts cleaned out. That is something that is supposed to be done every few years to keep the units working more efficiently.
2007-09-17 09:35:48 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
good luck honey cause cat pee seems to never go away such a horrible smell...but the heater always smells weird when you first turn it on seeing how you dont use it that much.....but if it is from your cat then you should try to clean it with some harsh chemicals cause that is one smell that stinks...good luck....
2007-09-17 11:14:33 · answer #6 · answered by lialuv23 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Something may have died in your ductwork. Call the smallest friend you have, and have them tunnel through and find whatever it is. Then, buy them dinner to thank them.
2007-09-17 09:31:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would make sure that no animal got in the vents and died there.
2007-09-17 09:35:14 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋