If your Comfort Zone heater smells like it’s burning, the main reasons behind it are:
- Using a new heater.
- Turning on the heater after a long break.
- Dirty vents.
- Something lodged in the heater.
- Electrical wiring issues.
Apart from that, it can also be caused by a dirty air filter or faulty heater components. No need to panic. I’ll address all these issues one by one and share the fixes with you. Let’s dive in!
Comfort Zone Heater Smells Like it’s Burning [7 Easy Fixes]
Here are the main reasons why your Comfort Zone heater overheats and produces a burning smell:
1. New Heater
If your heater smells like burning when first turned on, there’s most likely nothing wrong with that. There could be chemicals that are still there in the heater that are being burned off when you turn on the new heater.
Solution:
Wait for a few hours for the smell to clear. There’s nothing to worry about if it goes away after a while. But if the smell gets worse or doesn’t clear after many hours, you have to go through the troubleshooting process.
2. New Winter Season
The beginning of a new winter is another common reason why your Comfort Zone space heater smells like burning. When the heater has been off for several months, there’s a residue of dirt and dust in the burner. That dust is the main reason why your heater produces the ridiculous odor.
When you turn on the heater after a break, it continues to burn the dust. In reality, it’s not a bad thing. It’s great for the heater because it’ll become more efficient after burning through the dust.
Don’t think that this is the fault of an air filter or other components. If you leave your heater unused for a while, some dust will always find its way into it. You can’t do anything to help it. Even if you don’t use it for only a few days, you’ll notice the burning smell for a few minutes.
Solution:
Again, this is also just a waiting game. It’ll most likely clear out in a few hours or days at most. If it still doesn’t clear, that is when you’re truly looking at a more severe problem. Carry on reading if you’re going through this situation.
3. Dirty Vents
As you kept running the heater, did you notice that the smell became less intense but didn’t completely go away? If that’s the case, you need to check the vents properly. The burning smell from heater vents is one of the main reasons why this could happen.
When there’s dirt in the vents, it can trap the smoky odor when the heater is operational. That’s why you constantly get the burning smell. If the smell doesn’t get worse, you don’t have to be too alarmed. But this is also something that you should fix right away.
Solution:
Check the vents of your heater. If you find good traces of dirt, give them a thorough cleaning. Once you do a good job cleaning it, the smell should go away. As a prevention, I recommend cleaning the air vents and the heater before the start of each winter.
You won’t run into these problems if you do that. Make sure to also replace the air filter from time to time so that the heater can stay as clean as possible.
4. Foreign Objects
If your Comfort Zone heater smells like burning plastic or rubber, this is it. Dollars to donuts – something is lodged in your heater’s vents that’s causing this issue.
If you have children or pets, there’s a strong chance that they’ve put something in there by accident. As plastic toys are generally light and easy to put through some places, curious children or animals can leave them in the vents.
Solution:
The fire will make the object smaller and eventually consume it. So, the question is if you should do anything about it. And the answer is hell yes! If you don’t, it can get into the more sensitive parts of the heater.
So, you have to intervene. Take apart your heater and remove the vents. Don’t be shocked if you find a toy or other plastic objects in there. Make sure you’ve waited for the heater to cool down.
Once it’s safe, carefully remove the foreign object from there. Don’t hurt yourself in the process. If you need professional help, ask for it.
5. Electrical Issues
If you have a good sense of smell, you’d know what’s causing the issue to a degree. If you’re wondering why your electric heater smells of burnt wiring, you’ve already figured out a part of the puzzle.
There are a lot of wires in the heater. Generally, they are very well insulated against heat. However, if you’ve been using your heater for a long time, the insulation can wear out over time. In that case, the fire may get to the electrical wiring of the heater.
That’s most likely why you get the electrical burning smell whenever you’re running your heater. It could be the wires in the heater. It could also be the wires connected to the heater.
There’s also a slight possibility that the motor of the heater is burned out. When that happens, you’ll also get that electrical burning smell. But generally speaking, the heater won’t run long in this scenario.
Solution:
Okay, this is a tough one to solve. In this situation, I’d first turn off the heater to prevent any fire hazard. If you’re handy working with electrical components, you can try to locate the burnt wiring.
But if not, it’s an issue that’s best left to the experts. Burnt or melted wires can easily lead to electrocution. So, once again, leave it to the experts. Even if it’s burned-out motors, I don’t advise you to fix this yourself.
It requires getting into the blower assembly, detaching the motor, finding the right replacement part, and reattaching it. It’s a lot of work and hard for an untrained professional.
The results and risks just don’t match up with the effort. You can consult HVAC technicians to fix this for you. But if it’s an inexpensive heater that’s also old, upgrading it or changing it altogether may be a better choice. It’s your call.
6. Dirty Air Filter
Okay, here’s an easy one for you: if your space heater smells like burning hair, it could be the air filter. Like the name suggests, the job of the air filter is to filter the air that’s used for combustion.
As the air filter does its job, it gets dirty in the process by blocking dirt. Eventually, it becomes clogged and lets less air pass through. Two things happen in that scenario.
First, very little air goes through to the burner, which is required for combustion. Second, the air filter does a worse job of preventing the dirt from going to the burner. So, dirty air gets burned, and that’s what makes you end up with the horrible smell.
Solution:
The solution is super simple—you just have to replace the air filter. It’s a really easy job. Just find the right replacement air filter for your heater and change it. It’s plug and play. I’ll advise you to change the filter at the start of each winter or every 60-90 days to avoid running into these issues.
7. Faulty Heater Components
There are a lot of components in the heater that make it function properly. If any of them were to malfunction, it could lead to the heater producing a burning smell in some cases.
For example, there’s the thermal cutoff switch. It’s a very important safety feature in Comfort Zone heaters. When it functions well, it prevents the heater from overheating. It automatically shuts off the heater when it reaches a certain temperature to prevent accidents.
But imagine what happens when it doesn’t work properly. Even when the heater has reached a high temperature, it’ll continue to burn. In that case, the heater may start burning the internal components as well. That could be the reason why your space heater smells like chemicals.
There are a lot of other sensors in these heaters. And it’s hard to pinpoint what can cause the issue. But like I said, the thermal cut-off switch is the most common one.
This burning smell can also be attributed to the control board. With time, it can also start to malfunction. When it gives the wrong instruction, the burner will keep on burning when it’s not supposed to. That also causes the unwanted burning smell.
Solution:
You can start by trying to reset the thermal cutoff switch. If that solves the issue, you’re good. I’ve shared how you can reset it in easy steps in my guide on how to keep a Comfort Zone heater on. You can go through it.
If the issue is being caused by a faulty control board, you’d have to replace it. It’s harder than it sounds. If it’s an old unit, it might make sense to just upgrade to a new unit.
FAQs:
Is it always a problem if my Comfort Zone heater smells like burning?
No, I wouldn’t say it’s always a problem. As you’d know by now, the burning smell on a new heater or on a new winter cycle is fine. It’s only a problem when it remains strong after a few hours or days.
What if my heater produces a rotten odor?
This is a cause for concern, as there’s a gas leak. This smell is put on purpose in gas to easily detect leaks. Although this smell could also come from dead animals, it’s good to inspect right away.
What if there’s a moldy odor from my heater?
It’s unlikely to happen in Comfort Zone heaters, as they’re space heaters. Generally, when it happens, it’s due to the growth of bacteria and mildew from the presence of moisture.
What if the heater smells like oil?
In Comfort Zone oil-filled heaters, you can run into this problem. It’s likely due to a leakage. You’ll have to find out the source of the leak and fix it to solve this problem.
Conclusion
Now you know the main reasons why your Comfort Zone heater smells like burning and how you can fix it. Be patient with your diagnosis, and then solve the problem quickly. Normally, it’ll be caused by a simple issue that can be easily fixed.
But if the issue is severe in your case, your two options are to get expert help or upgrade to another heater. Decide what’s best for you. Check out my guide on how to stop a Comfort Zone heater from making noise if you’re running into that issue.
