Natural gas smell when heat kicks on

[Silock]

It comes and goes. I only smell it when the heat first comes on, it lasts for a few moments and then disappears. I don't smell anything near the furnace, but instead in the upstairs living room. I've checked that all the vents are open, and the burners are all working inside the furnace. Air filter is clean and replaced.

What am I missing? Should I just bite the bullet and call an HVAC tech?

[Johnny Vegas]

don't power companies do gas inspections for free? I know mine does. I had to do it when the regulator/meter outside was damaged from my neighbors as they were demo'ing a house. They came fixed it and checked everything until it was safe all for no cost.

[Dave Lane]

Call the gas company tell them you smell gas they will send a tech over asap

[EagleRob]

Call the gas company tell them you smell gas they will send a tech over asap

This

[Ace Gunner]

there is an exhaust vent that goes to the roof. you might get up there and check for blockage. more than likely, the problem is within that vent run.

[Rambozo]

Check the ignitor. Turn off the heat and go down and watch it start. Does it take several tries? If so, sometimes you can just clean it with a dollar bill and it will work. There are videos on you tube. I just had this problem.

[Silock]

Igniter is fine. Just watched it. And this time, no smell of gas. Ugh. I'll check the exhaust vent.

[Bwana]

Igniter is fine. Just watched it. And this time, no smell of gas. Ugh. I'll check the exhaust vent.

It could be a lot of things. There may be a leak in one of the connecting unions in your gas process line, an exhaust vent issue, or something else.

If you have ANY doubt, call the gas company and tell them you smell gas. They will be out quickly at no charge with a sniffer. I own one that I use for various gas applications at refineries, but that's not going to do you any good being hundreds of miles away. Like I said if you have even the slightest thought there may be a leak, call the gas company.

[Chief Roundup]

If you are smelling it through the heat and A/C vents you probably have a cracked heat exchanger.
You should have a carbon monoxide tester in your home if you heat with gas.

[mlyonsd]

It could be a lot of things. There may be a leak in one of the connecting unions in your gas process line, an exhaust vent issue, or something else.

If you have ANY doubt, call the gas company and tell them you smell gas. They will be out quickly at no charge with a sniffer. I own one that I use for various gas applications at refineries, but that's not going to do you any good being hundreds of miles away. Like I said if you have even the slightest thought there may be a leak, call the gas company.
This. Don't fuck with it. The gas company wants to know anytime you smell gas.

[mlyonsd]

If you are smelling it through the heat and A/C vents you probably have a cracked heat exchanger.
You should have a carbon monoxide tester in your home if you heat with gas.This too.

[Hoover]

GTFO and call the gas company.

The last thing I'd do is stick my head down by furnace and turn it on and off. Unless you don't mind getting blown up.

I never mess with gas.

[gblowfish]

Invite over all your Raider pals. Give them a pack of Marlboro Reds and a lighter. RUN.

[Rasputin]

Invite over all your Raider pals. Give them a pack of Marlboro Reds and a lighter. RUN.

This makes the most logic. :thumb:

[Shaid]

Call someone, don't try to fix something that important on your own. Your life and that of your family are pretty important and not something to fuck around with.

[Ace Gunner]

Igniter is fine. Just watched it. And this time, no smell of gas. Ugh. I'll check the exhaust vent.

that's telling. it's likely carbon build up on that electronic igniter. they sell the igniter assy for a few bucks on most models. maybe go get one and replace it. it's easy -- plug swap, really.

[King_Chief_Fan]

just a guess, but maybe the heat exchanger

[Ace Gunner]

It could be a lot of things. There may be a leak in one of the connecting unions in your gas process line, an exhaust vent issue, or something else.

If you have ANY doubt, call the gas company and tell them you smell gas. They will be out quickly at no charge with a sniffer. I own one that I use for various gas applications at refineries, but that's not going to do you any good being hundreds of miles away. Like I said if you have even the slightest thought there may be a leak, call the gas company.

if there were a gas line leak, the fumes would be omnipresent 24/7.

[houstonwhodat]

We don't need heat in Houston.

It's 80 fucking degrees down here.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

You could DIY it, or you could call a professional to deal with the atomized explosive potentially invading your living space.

[Stewie]

If there's a leak in the house (which it sounds like there is) the gas company will red-tag the furnace. They'll turn it off and ask you to call an HVAC company to get the problem fixed. Skip the gas company and call a pro.

[Donger]

Pet peeve: you aren't smelling natural gas. NG is odorless. What you are smelling is the odorant that the gas companies put into NG for this very reason.

Call your gas company immediately.

[Bwana]

if there were a gas line leak, the fumes would be omnipresent 24/7.

If it's in a common interior location it should be, but I still wouldn't want to bet my life on it. If by chance there is a leak originating from an exterior location like next to the house, who knows. I break out my equipment about twice a year and sniff the entire system. Better to be safe than dead when it comes to gas.

[58-4ever]

http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/73oj2yjuQmv0e0ZUWFdj7g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MzYwO2NyPTE7Y3c9NjQwO2R4PTA7ZHk9MDtmaT11bGNyb3A7aD0zNTU7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/gma/Reuters/ld_seal_penguin_mi_130125_wmain.jpg

[Rasputin]

If there's a leak in the house (which it sounds like there is) the gas company will red-tag the furnace. They'll turn it off and ask you to call an HVAC company to get the problem fixed. Skip the gas company and call a pro.

Yep this too. The place I am buying was vacant for a year and the gas company had me call a pro co to come out and test for leaks and then they sent a guy to varify while they were here. There wasn't any leaks fortunately or I would have had to pay the pro company to fix the problem.

[Mr. Laz]

It could be a lot of things. There may be a leak in one of the connecting unions in your gas process line, an exhaust vent issue, or something else.

If you have ANY doubt, call the gas company and tell them you smell gas. They will be out quickly at no charge with a sniffer. I own one that I use for various gas applications at refineries, but that's not going to do you any good being hundreds of miles away. Like I said if you have even the slightest thought there may be a leak, call the gas company.
Is it wrong that Bwana is so studly that i kind feel 'crushy' when he talks like this?


Bwana For President!!!!!!!!!!!


oh yea ... and what he said

[Silock]

Pet peeve: you aren't smelling natural gas. NG is odorless. What you are smelling is the odorant that the gas companies put into NG for this very reason.

Call your gas company immediately.

I'm aware of that. But it wouldn't fit in the subject line, and would sound a little douchey.

[Ace Gunner]

I'm aware of that. But it wouldn't fit in the subject line, and would sound a little douchey.

:clap: did ya fix it?

[Silock]

Gas dude is here now. Just a weird interaction between the water heater venting and the furnace being on that overloads the exhaust vent because of the way the vent tees together, which is why it's intermittent. Only happens when the water heater and the furnace are going at the same time.

He told me how to fix it and is just finishing up. No crazy death traps in the house. Sorry to disappoint!

[Chiefshrink]

Gas dude is here now. Just a weird interaction between the water heater venting and the furnace being on that overloads the exhaust vent because of the way the vent tees together, which is why it's intermittent. Only happens when the water heater and the furnace are going at the same time.

He told me how to fix it and is just finishing up. No crazy death traps in the house. Sorry to disappoint!

Glad to hear everything is cool. I experienced the exact same thing:thumb:

[A Salt Weapon]

Spray all your gas line fittings with a soap/water mix, if there is a gas leak you'll see bubbles. Most likely not or you'd smell gas all the time. Probably a cracked heat exchanger or a compromised vent.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Bump]

ya call your gas company. They should check it out for free.

I had to call mine, I came home from a loonng night of work to the sound of my carbon monoxide detector going off. But it was a constant alarm sound, still called the gas company and it turned out it was the batteries lol. Your mind can do crazy things because I honestly thought I was getting dizzy, like a psychological thing.

[chefsos]

Pet peeve: you aren't smelling natural gas. NG is odorless. What you are smelling is the odorant that the gas companies put into NG for this very reason.

Call your gas company immediately.Ethyl Mercaptan FTW

...That is, if it's the same stuff that's used in LP.

[bevischief]

Call the gas company tell them you smell gas they will send a tech over asap

I was painting my house over the 4th of July weekend and smelled gas by the meter they had a tech out in about a hour to replace it.

[cabletech94]

Gas dude is here now. Just a weird interaction between the water heater venting and the furnace being on that overloads the exhaust vent because of the way the vent tees together, which is why it's intermittent. Only happens when the water heater and the furnace are going at the same time.

He told me how to fix it and is just finishing up. No crazy death traps in the house. Sorry to disappoint!

i was just getting ready to post if anyone had heard from you. obviously i skipped page 2.

glad youre still alive.

as stated with these other knuckleheads. never mess with natural gas.:thumb:

[Saul Good]

You could DIY it, or you could call a professional to deal with the atomized explosive potentially invading your living space.

This is CP. If you can't you can't assemble a physics package using three pages worth of advice,you aren't trying.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Check the ignitor. Turn off the heat and go down and watch it start. Does it take several tries? If so, sometimes you can just clean it with a dollar bill and it will work. There are videos on you tube. I just had this problem.

Thats gotta be sum of the dumbest advice I've ever read in the history of the internet !

How in the fuck are you going to clean your furnace with a $1

[Chief Roundup]

Gas dude is here now. Just a weird interaction between the water heater venting and the furnace being on that overloads the exhaust vent because of the way the vent tees together, which is why it's intermittent. Only happens when the water heater and the furnace are going at the same time.

He told me how to fix it and is just finishing up. No crazy death traps in the house. Sorry to disappoint!

This is a problem with the DIY type of people. They didn't know to check the sizing of the vent to insure proper ventilation. Glad you got it fixed up.

[Chief Roundup]

Thats gotta be sum of the dumbest advice I've ever read in the history of the internet !

How in the **** are you going to clean your furnace with a $1

You are not really. You MIGHT knock off a build up of carbon on a spark ignitor but if it is a glow ignitor and you touch the ceramic you just as well to throw it away.

[Canofbier]

I'm glad that someone finally made a thread about this! Flatulence during lovemaking can be a huge mood-killer. My recommendation: eat less Mexican food.

[cosmo20002]

When I turn on the heat for the first time in the fall/winter, there is kind of a "gas" smell for a while, then it goes away. Figured that was normal and probably not actually gas I was smelling. So, is that normal--what's up with that?

[A Salt Weapon]

You are not really. You MIGHT knock off a build up of carbon on a spark ignitor but if it is a glow ignitor and you touch the ceramic you just as well to throw it away.

That's what I was taught too, however I was flipping through one of my vendors catalogs the other day and it had a reference to that being a myth started by the igniter companies to keep techs from touching them.

[tony77]

Very bad Pedro!

[Stanley Nickels]

Just be glad you don't have to work with the real, unadulterated beta-mercaptoethanol on a daily basis. I use it in a fumigated hood and that shit still smells like somebody shit rotten eggs all over the lab.

[Chief Roundup]

That's what I was taught too, however I was flipping through one of my vendors catalogs the other day and it had a reference to that being a myth started by the igniter companies to keep techs from touching them.

I don't believe it is a myth for a couple of reasons. A lot of times the ceramic ignitors are in a tougher position to replace than spark/electronic ignitors since they have to be in line with the gas flow into the exchanger. If you could touch them and get away with it your time to do the change would be half. During some of the training that I received from Carrier there was a video where they showed 2 ceramic ignitors next to each other in the same frame. The narrator touched one and of course not the other. You could easily see the darker spots in the glowing area of the ceramic where the one was touched. It lasted for less than 200 cycles. They are suppose to last for more than 200,000 cycles. I was convinced to say the least.

[A Salt Weapon]

Could be, I was always taught to not touch the. But then coming across that the other day. I'll snap a picture of it.
Posted via Mobile Device

[bevischief]

Light a candle.

[A Salt Weapon]

May be true may be not, I don't know. I still don't touch them but that's just because there really isn't a need to.

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a425/Timinem_photos/IMG00395-20130116-0933.jpg
Posted via Mobile Device