Chicago hit a record-setting 88° on Monday, October 12. For this weekend, forecasters called for highs in the 50s and 60s. If you haven't switched your thermostat from cool to heat yet, you're about to. And a lot of Grayslake homes are about to smell a little like burnt toast.
Don't panic. Here's what that smell usually is, what to do before you turn the heat on, and the signs that mean stop and call a pro.
What that smell usually is
Over the warm months, dust settles on and around your heating system. The first time the heat runs, that dust burns off, and the smell travels through your vents. Most HVAC companies say it typically fades within a few hours.
It's normal, it's common, and it happens in plenty of homes every fall. Homes with pets often notice it a little more, because pet hair collects on registers and inside the system too.
If it smells like dust, it's dust. If it smells like plastic, it's a phone call.
When it's not normal: stop and call
We're a cleaning company, not an HVAC company. Anything that sounds like an equipment problem goes to a licensed HVAC pro or your utility. Turn the system off and call if you notice:
- A burning plastic or electrical smell
- Visible smoke from a vent or the furnace
- A smell that lasts more than a few hours, or comes back every time the heat runs
- A musty smell that doesn't clear
- One room that smells much stronger than the rest. Something may have dropped into that vent.
If you smell gas, which is often described as rotten eggs, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911. If a carbon monoxide alarm goes off, get everyone outside and call 911. Carbon monoxide has no smell, so never rely on your nose to tell you a system is safe.
One more thing: don't crank the thermostat to "burn it off" if you suspect it's more than dust. Find out what it is first.
The 15-minute fall cleaning checklist before you flip the switch
You can't prevent every first-day smell, but a quick pass through the house helps. Here's the order we'd do it in.
- Check the furnace filter. Replace it if it's due, using the size and directions for your system.
- Vacuum your vent covers and registers. Use a brush attachment, then wipe with a damp cloth. Stay on what you can see and reach. Leave the ducts to a specialist.
- Clear the vents. Move furniture, rugs and toys off the registers. Blocked vents keep heat from reaching the room.
- Dust the baseboards and floors near vents and heaters. If you have baseboard heaters or radiators, vacuum and wipe them while they're cool and the heat is off.
- Set up the entry for the season. Put out the boot tray and a good mat. Wet leaves and slush are coming, and the entry takes the hit.
- Skip the air freshener. Covering up a smell you haven't identified is how a real problem hides.
Then turn the heat on and give it a few hours. A little air from a cracked window on a mild afternoon helps clear the smell faster.
Start heating season with the house reset
A hand-detailed deep clean covers the kitchen, bathrooms, baseboards and trim, and floors. Free, no-obligation quote.
Get Your Free Quote →Why this matters this year
A swing from 88° to the 50s is exactly when many people turn the furnace on for the first time. NOAA's winter outlook, reported October 15, calls for above-average temperatures and below-average snowfall in the Chicago area, with a strong El Niño expected. But forecasters also said Arctic outbreaks and major storms are still possible.
A milder winter isn't a heat-free winter. Doing the wipe-down now means you're not doing it at 6 a.m. on the first really cold morning.
Quick smell guide
- Burnt toast or dusty: usually dust burning off. Give it a few hours.
- Musty or damp: worth a look at the filter. If it lingers, call an HVAC pro.
- Burning plastic or electrical: turn it off and call a pro.
- Rotten eggs or gas: leave the house and call your gas utility or 911.
- Smoke you can see: turn it off, get out and call 911.
Who handles what
It helps to know who to call, so here's the short version.
- You: the filter, the vent covers, clearing the registers and the floors around them.
- An HVAC pro: the furnace itself, the ducts, and any burning plastic, electrical or musty smell that won't go away.
- Your gas utility or 911: gas smells, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- A cleaning team: the whole-home reset that makes the house feel ready for the season.
If you rent
Tell your landlord or property manager about a smell that lasts, smells like plastic or electrical parts, or comes back every time the heat runs. Put it in writing, with the date. Don't wait for the first freezing night to find out the heat has a problem.
What we do and don't do
We stay on the surfaces you can see. We don't clean air ducts, which is a specialty service with its own equipment. Curious why the details around your vents matter? Here's why hidden dust matters more than you think.
Want a hand with the rest?
If you'd rather start the heating season with the house already reset, a deep clean covers the kitchen, bathrooms, baseboards and trim, and floors, hand-detailed throughout. Inside the oven and fridge are optional add-ons.
Not sure which service fits? Here's what you're actually paying for in a deep clean versus a regular clean.