The first cold night of the year in Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach and Palm Coast always brings the same phone call to our office. Someone switches the heat on for the first time in months, and a few minutes later the house smells like something is burning.
“That’s our very first 911 call from every customer: ‘I smell something burning.’”
Jason Healy, Operations Manager
In most cases the smell is harmless and gone within minutes. Here’s how to tell the difference between a normal first-run smell and one that needs a technician.
Burning smell from the heat: normal or not?
| What you notice | Normal? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dusty burning smell the first time you turn on the heat | Yes | Let it run. It should fade in a few minutes. |
| A few dust particles from the vents on that first run | Yes | That’s the same dust burning off. It clears quickly. |
| Burning plastic smell | No | Turn the system off and call. |
| Debris coming out of the vents | No | Turn the system off and call. |
| The smell comes back every time the heat runs | No | Have the system checked. |
| “Smoke” rising from the outdoor unit | Yes | That’s steam from the defrost cycle, not smoke. |
Why Florida heat smells the first time you use it
Up north, most homes heat with a gas furnace. Here, most homes heat with electricity: a heat pump outside, backed up by electric heat strips inside the air handler. Some homes, especially beachside condos, run an air conditioner with heat strips only.
Those heat strips sit unused for most of the year while your system runs in cooling mode. Dust and small bits of debris settle on the coils. The first time the strips heat up, that dust burns off.
“The system sits for all those months while it’s running in cooling. On top of those heat strip coils, it collects little bits of dust because they’re not being used. When the heat strips first kick on, they burn that off. Sometimes it comes out of the vent in little dust particles. Sometimes you just have the smell.”
Jason Healy
Because the strips do the burning, you’ll notice it most when the strips are working hardest: the first cold morning, or when the thermostat is turned up several degrees at once.
No smell at all? That’s usually fine too. We’ve had customers call because they didn’t smell anything and wanted to know if their heat strips were working. If the house is warming, they are.
When a burning smell is not normal
Our customer service team is trained to ask a few questions and put your mind at ease, because the first-run smell is so common. But some signs mean we want a technician there quickly.
“If they smell plastic burning, or we’ve had cases where debris is coming out of the vents, at that point we want to rush over there and get a qualified technician on site to make sure there’s nothing more serious than a little bit of dust.”
Jason Healy
Turn the heat off and call if
- You smell burning plastic or an electrical smell
- Debris, not just a little dust, is coming out of the vents
- The smell is still strong after the first 15 to 20 minutes
- The smell returns every time the heat comes on
What happens when you call
Tell our team what the smell is like, when it started and whether anything is coming from the vents. If it sounds like normal dust burn-off, we’ll walk you through it on the phone. If it doesn’t, we’ll get a technician out, generally in under two hours.
How to keep the first-run smell to a minimum
Members of our HVAC maintenance plan get two visits a year, one at the start of winter and one at the start of summer. On the winter visit, your technician runs the system through all of its operations, including heat, before you need it.
“We set those up once at the beginning of winter and once at the beginning of summer, so we can test the system, run it through all its operations, and make sure that when you go to run it in heat, it’s running correctly.”
Jason Healy
Heat still not working after the smell clears? Use our 6-step heating checklist before you call.
Smell something that isn’t right?
Flat $129 diagnostic. Serving Volusia County since 1976.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for the heat to smell like burning the first time?
Yes. Dust collects on your electric heat strips during the months they aren’t used, and it burns off the first time they heat up. The smell should fade within a few minutes.
How long should the burning smell last?
Usually just a few minutes on the first run of the season. If it’s still strong after 15 to 20 minutes, or it comes back every time the heat runs, have the system checked.
What if it smells like burning plastic?
Turn the system off and call a technician. A burning plastic smell, or debris coming from the vents, is not normal dust burn-off.
Is the smoke from my outdoor unit related?
No. Steam rising from a heat pump’s outdoor unit on a cold, damp day is the defrost cycle melting ice off the coil. It lasts about 30 seconds and is normal.
How much does it cost to have it checked?
Total Comfort charges a flat $129 diagnostic fee. Your technician finds the cause and gives you a price before any repair begins.
