Expect a lot of people in the metro to turn on their heat for the first time this season

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) – Cooler temperatures are making their way into the metro area and continuing through the next few days, which means many people may be turning on their heat for the first time this season.

When you turn on your heat for the first time this season, you may notice a burning smell coming from your furnace. Bart Inman with Bart Inman Air Conditioning and Heating said this is completely normal, even for a new furnace. He told News 4 the concern is if you smell rubber that could be a sign of an electrical problem and you need a professional to check it out.

“Smells bad,” Inman said. “It’s like you’ve never smelled it before.” Turn it off and give us a call. Don’t try to use it because it could be an electrical problem that you need a professional to look at. You don’t want to have any problems with fire. “

That’s why, Inman said, if there’s a problem, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later. The calls are starting to come in, but it’s still early, so Inman said scheduling the meeting wasn’t a problem. But the longer you wait, if something goes wrong, you may see delays as the weather gets colder.

“We have to do the warm-up first, as opposed to the start and the tests,” Inman said. “People call us and say that a room is not well heated, if it’s really cold outside, we’ll get to you, but it’s not a priority. Our priority is people who lose heat and have no heat at home.”

University City’s Charlie Eichman said he had his warm-up last week to go through before the game in case there were any problems.

“A few weeks ago, my landlord asked me to turn on my heat so that everyone, all of his tenants, wouldn’t call at once that my heat was out, so I turned on my heat,” Eichman said. “It’s working, and it’s probably been in that setting since last week.”

Inman told News 4 his company is experiencing delays in ordering some parts to repair the furnace. This is another reason to check early and make sure if there is a problem, it can be fixed quickly.

Inman said you can replace your filter, but when it comes to repairs, he advises calling in an expert to avoid potential fire hazards.

St. Louisan Emily Diveley said she noticed it was broken on Friday and was able to get a repair appointment for Wednesday.

“We have kids, so the main reason to go and turn it on and see if everything is OK, I’m glad we checked it out,” Diveley said.

Before calling in an expert, Inman says there are some things you can do yourself at home.

“In ovens, check where the smoke is coming out,” says Inman. “Make sure it’s connected. Make sure it’s not rusting because that’s where the carbon monoxide is going out of your house. It’s an easy thing that any homeowner can do and just look at it. It just comes out of your oven.”

Copyright 2022 KMOV. All rights reserved.