Throughout the winter, temperatures outside regularly fall below zero, and as the weather gets colder, more and more people switch on their heating to keep their homes nice and warm.
As heating is on more regularly throughout the winter, it’s important to keep an eye on the health of your boiler.
According to a boiler expert, there is a clear sign that something is wrong with your heating. Joshua Houston, boiler expert at GreenMatch, believes the general public needs to be aware of the potential dangers they aren’t noticing when it comes to the smell coming from their boiler.
Three distinctive odours could be signs that your heating system is in trouble.
Noticing and identifying these odours early on will allow for quick action, which could be calling a professional or even requiring an immediate evacuation from your home. Joshua has shared why you should be vigilant to these particular scents and what they are.
Rotten eggs
The expert revealed that one common sign of trouble is noticing an unexplainable rotten egg-type smell. He explains that this could be a sign of a gas leak.
“Firstly, turn off your gas supply at the energy control valve, or your heating system’s equivalent. Then, evacuate all of your household members immediately, along with any pets. This is because a spark could cause a potentially deadly explosion”, Joshua explains.
He also suggests that you should contact a Gas Safe registered professional who should be able to identify and fix the issue.
Burning
One of the most concerning smells to notice inside your home is burning. This scent can be caused by a wide variety of things and can be considerably difficult to identify.
Boilers can cause this smell if dust or other debris burns after coming into contact with the hot metal coil. However, it’s nothing to be concerned about if the smell disappears after around 30 minutes or so.
Joshua said, “If it hasn’t, then this might be a sign that your boiler is overheating, especially if your hot water supply is inconsistent. In this scenario, you should turn off your gas supply before calling a professional to have a look.
Metallic
A metallic smell could be for the same reason as the rotten egg smell, the boiler expert explains. In this case, the same actions should be taken because a gas leak is extremely dangerous and should be taken seriously.
Joshua explained, “Alternatively, it could be an oil leakage from your boiler. Don’t try and fix the problem yourself; instead, call a professional who will try and rectify it safely.”
He went on to say that another key area of concern is carbon monoxide, as a metallic smell is also a sign that it might be leaking. Carbon monoxide itself is odourless, which heightens the importance of bringing in a Gas Safe Engineer to take a look.
Highlighting the significance of looking out for these scents, the boiler expert said: “It’s crucial that the public is aware of these three smells related to boilers. As otherwise they could be in serious danger without their knowledge. Calling a professional or evacuating a home can save lives.
“On average, 40 people die a year in the UK from deaths relating to boilers. So, smells that you might think are innocent really need to be taken seriously.’’
