Burnt smell from heat-pump forced air...(??)

Bird · Oct 30, 2008

For many years, we lived in homes with electric air-conditioning (cooling) and gas heating. Every Fall, the first time we turned on the heat, it smelled like something burning, which I was always told was dust burning off the burner, so after the first year or two I ignored it. And even in a total electric home (manufactured housing or mobile home) we had the same thing. However, now we're in a total electric house with a heat pump and on the 23rd of this month (one week ago today), I turned the heat on for the first time this season, and even with the auxilliary heat strip on, I never noticed any such odor.

Skerby · Nov 1, 2008

thanks a lot guys! i cancelled the service call. water furnace said nothing in their unit would cause the 'burning odor' and suggested it was the auxillary heating unit.. the HVAC company that i HAD scheduled with couldnt' tell me anything, they had to send some one out, 'i.e., bill me at least $65'. however, the receptionist on the phone said she could quote me a price to do maintenance on the unit.. so that tipped me off that it would be a cleaning for a hundred or so dollars (guessing...)...
anyway, i took your suggestion on the problem and just opened up the hood and used a compressor and vacuum to clean out the heating coils in the top of the furnace..
thanks for saving me $65 and up!