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HVAC Discussions - Heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
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Posted by Pennwalt on November 3, 2009, 5:55 am
Five years ago, I got a new oil burner heater installed. Even before the
new burner was installed, I started noticing a strange smell when heat
started flowing from the ducts. The smell is difficult to describe, but it
has come and gone for about 6 years. Over the last 3 years, the smell, when
it comes, has declined somewhat in intensity. At first, I could hardly
stand it. I have had HVAC people look into it and they claim they can't
smell anything. Sometimes it's so subtle that you hardly notice it's there
and then the next morning it returns pretty strong. Not sure what to do
about it, but I'd like the smell eliminated. Any idea of the cause and what
steps to take to cure it? Thanks, Pennwalt
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Posted by Stormin Mormon on November 3, 2009, 8:44 am
Could be any of a bunch of things. Might be dust in the
ducts, or dead mouse in the ducts.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
Five years ago, I got a new oil burner heater installed.
Even before the
new burner was installed, I started noticing a strange smell
when heat
started flowing from the ducts. The smell is difficult to
describe, but it
has come and gone for about 6 years. Over the last 3 years,
the smell, when
it comes, has declined somewhat in intensity. At first, I
could hardly
stand it. I have had HVAC people look into it and they
claim they can't
smell anything. Sometimes it's so subtle that you hardly
notice it's there
and then the next morning it returns pretty strong. Not
sure what to do
about it, but I'd like the smell eliminated. Any idea of
the cause and what
steps to take to cure it? Thanks, Pennwalt
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Posted by Alexander on November 3, 2009, 9:24 pm
Pennwalt wrote:
> Five years ago, I got a new oil burner heater installed. Even before
> the new burner was installed, I started noticing a strange smell when
> heat started flowing from the ducts. The smell is difficult to
> describe, but it has come and gone for about 6 years. Over the last 3
> years, the smell, when it comes, has declined somewhat in intensity. At
> first, I could hardly stand it. I have had HVAC people look into it and
> they claim they can't smell anything. Sometimes it's so subtle that you
> hardly notice it's there and then the next morning it returns pretty
> strong. Not sure what to do about it, but I'd like the smell
> eliminated. Any idea of the cause and what steps to take to cure it?
> Thanks, Pennwalt
Stop using the Ductwork as a dirty laundry chute.
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Posted by on November 4, 2009, 9:08 am
wrote:
>Pennwalt wrote:
>> Five years ago, I got a new oil burner heater installed. Even before
>> the new burner was installed, I started noticing a strange smell when
>> heat started flowing from the ducts. The smell is difficult to
>> describe, but it has come and gone for about 6 years. Over the last 3
>> years, the smell, when it comes, has declined somewhat in intensity. At
>> first, I could hardly stand it. I have had HVAC people look into it and
>> they claim they can't smell anything. Sometimes it's so subtle that you
>> hardly notice it's there and then the next morning it returns pretty
>> strong. Not sure what to do about it, but I'd like the smell
>> eliminated. Any idea of the cause and what steps to take to cure it?
>> Thanks, Pennwalt
>Stop using the Ductwork as a dirty laundry chute.
I was thinking 'stop renting it out to Grandma and telling her
it's an old folks home'.
--
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www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
Paul ( pjm @ pobox . com ) - remove spaces to email me
'Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.'
'With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.'
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Posted by Existential Angst on November 4, 2009, 10:55 am
> Five years ago, I got a new oil burner heater installed. Even before the
> new burner was installed, I started noticing a strange smell when heat
> started flowing from the ducts. The smell is difficult to describe, but
> it has come and gone for about 6 years. Over the last 3 years, the smell,
> when it comes, has declined somewhat in intensity. At first, I could
> hardly stand it. I have had HVAC people look into it and they claim they
> can't smell anything. Sometimes it's so subtle that you hardly notice
> it's there and then the next morning it returns pretty strong. Not sure
> what to do about it, but I'd like the smell eliminated. Any idea of the
> cause and what steps to take to cure it? Thanks, Pennwalt
Does the boiler room have any odor?
It could be the blower sucking in ambient boiler room air through gaps in
the unit. Differential barometric pressure can greatly affect this as well,
causing building odors/gases to naturally vent OR accumulate, thus the
intermittent effect. This effect can be very instantaneous, almost
literally second by second, depending on local conditions, or last for hours
or days.
There could be a hidden intake register somewhere, picking up something
stored or decaying. Plant material/water can be pretty wierd, smell-wise.
You might try getting the blower to come on without heat, and see if the
odor appears. That would at least eliminate the heat component as a cause.
You'd be much better off posting on alt.home.repair with a Q like this -- or
really any Q on hvac.
The effing character-disordered idiots here are too busy jerking each other
off to be of any use. I think alt.hvac might be a disguised dating service
for closet pervs/broke-assed hvac techs still living with their mommies..
ahr has quite a few knowledgeable cooperative regulars there, willing to
help.
--
EA
>
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> the new burner was installed, I started noticing a strange smell when
> heat started flowing from the ducts. The smell is difficult to
> describe, but it has come and gone for about 6 years. Over the last 3
> years, the smell, when it comes, has declined somewhat in intensity. At
> first, I could hardly stand it. I have had HVAC people look into it and
> they claim they can't smell anything. Sometimes it's so subtle that you
> hardly notice it's there and then the next morning it returns pretty
> strong. Not sure what to do about it, but I'd like the smell
> eliminated. Any idea of the cause and what steps to take to cure it?
> Thanks, Pennwalt