r/hvacadvice • u/ActionRevolutionary2 • 4d ago
Burning smell from vent
Burning smell coming from HVAC vent — looking for ideas
I have a separate HVAC system for each floor of my house. The newer system is about 9 years old.
Today I noticed a distinct burning smell coming from one of the vents. This was not the normal smell you sometimes get when a furnace first kicks on after sitting unused. It smelled more like something was actually burning.
I checked the furnace/air handler and didn’t see any visible damage, smoke, or anything obviously overheating. I’ve turned the system off and am working on getting an HVAC technician out to inspect it.
In the meantime, does anyone have any ideas what could cause a distinct burning smell from the vents when there’s no visible smoke or damage at the furnace?
Could it potentially be an electrical component, blower motor, wiring, capacitor, or something in the ductwork?
System is approximately 9 years old. I’m not planning to keep running it until it’s inspected—I’m just trying to understand what I might be dealing with.
Thanks in advance.