Does your boiler smell like burnt metal, melted plastic, rot or gas? Here’s what it means and what you risk if you ignore it.
In winter, your boiler is probably the most important appliance in your home. If it breaks down, it’s quickly a disaster. No more hot water, no more heating, no more hotplates… But that’s not all, if it is damaged, the effects on your gas or electricity bill can be enormous (an inflated gas bill can be one of the first signs that your boiler is broken). This is a device that needs to be taken care of.
Like any appliance, a boiler can experience problems, and it is crucial to identify them quickly to avoid serious and potentially dangerous breakdowns. Many of us know to pay attention to the first signs of boiler failure. Loud gurgling noises can indicate trapped air, whistling sounds or vibrations can mean many problems, from a blocked flue to poor pressure, clicking noises can be due to overheating or a faulty thermostat, and a Hissing sound may be due to limescale or rust.
If all these signs are more or less known, another indicator should be looked out for on gas boilers: the smell. It turns out that a foul odor could indicate a serious problem with your boiler and indicate that you need to call in a repairman or service it. For example, a smell of burning metal, melted plastic, or burning oil could be due to frayed electrical wires. In this case, you must immediately turn off your boiler and call an expert. The problem can be serious. Rotten smells could come from mold buildup in your boiler. A simple burning smell that comes out when you turn on your boiler could simply be due to a build-up of dust on your boiler or radiators. In this case, turn off the boiler and clean everything thoroughly.
A gas smell may also come from your appliance. For added safety, gas industries add an artificial odor to the gas, to make its smell more perceptible and to help detect a leak. If you smell this odor at home, you must act immediately.
Start by ventilating your home, close the gas tap, do not light a lighter or electrical appliances, leave your home, and contact the firefighters. This smell can come from a defective appliance (boiler or gas cooker with one of the burners is outdated, for example) which leaks gas molecules without burning them, or even from a faulty connection.