Why does my new furnace set off my fire alarm?
When you have a new furnace installed, you want to be aware of possible issues that come with most new furnaces.
First, when your furnace is made, the heat exchanger is coated with an oil to protect it from water and rusting. This oil gets burned off during the first few times you turn on your new furnace.
The smell that comes from the oil being burning in the new furnace can some times be so strong that the new furnace will set off your smoke alarm or fire alarm.
If your fire alarm goes off after the first time you turn on a new furnace, this is most likely the reason why the smoke alarm is going off. Of course if your smoke alarm goes off after turning on your new furnace, please take the safety precautions you would take any other time your smoke alarm goes off.
When we check a new furnace for the first maintenance visit after an installation, we want to make sure all the connections are tight and did not get knocked loose that could cause a new furnace to fail. We also want to make sure there is no water leaking anywhere and burners are firing properly.