"Perfume" Smell from Furnace Vents

12-27-2007, 11:18 AM	#1
Doc Newbie   Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3	"Perfume" Smell from Furnace Vents Greetings! I live in a new home in the Appomattox area of LVirginia, having taken up residence for one year. I have a Gibson heat pump and my furnace is located in my basement. I noticed periodically during November and December, a sweet "perfume" smell eminating from my heating vents. Again, it's rather spuradic, but a definite smell which is not isolated to any particular area or vent. I'm concerned - is this Freon leaking? I do change out my furnace filter on a scheduled basis - the one in my hallway - though I did notice that there is also a place for a furnace filter at the furnace itself, though no filter is in that slot - I was told I didn't need one. Do you have any idea what this smell is? It was not present during the summer when the air conditioning was running. Kindest regards, Doc

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12-27-2007, 12:25 PM	#2
USP45 Building and plumbing     Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: farmville, VA Posts: 244	"Perfume" Smell from Furnace Vents It may be an old trick when selling a house. Check behind the filter and see if there is a bottle of perfume or other scent there. We used to place one there and fire up the heater so the smell would fill the house

12-27-2007, 12:33 PM	#3
Doc Newbie   Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3	"Perfume" Smell from Furnace Vents Well, it's a brand new home, and I did not smell this scent last winter. Also, when you say "behind the filter" are you referring to the actually furnace filter (or where one would be) in the basement? There's only flooring here. The upstairs filter draws the air in, so there's no place to put anything here.

12-27-2007, 01:30 PM	#4
USP45 Building and plumbing     Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: farmville, VA Posts: 244	"Perfume" Smell from Furnace Vents If it were a container of insent it would be behind the filter that you change on the air intake. If there is no insents there then it could be something else.

12-27-2007, 11:34 PM	#5
bigMikeB Union HVAC Tech.   Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 607	"Perfume" Smell from Furnace Vents You have a ghost common to the area, cause freon doesn't smell like perfume.

12-28-2007, 06:14 PM	#6
Doc Newbie   Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3	"Perfume" Smell from Furnace Vents Greetings Big Mike, Can you specify what you mean by a Ghost common to the area? I really need to nail this down. Doc

12-29-2007, 02:19 AM	#7
bigMikeB Union HVAC Tech.   Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 607	"Perfume" Smell from Furnace Vents I have spent a lot of time (summers/vacations/etc) in old houses in that area and at some point staying in them you smell lilac or gardenia flowers. I have heard many people chalk it up to ghosts.