Electrical burning smell coming from Rheem Criterion Furnace Model-RC 8A-3765GG17

[shopgirl]

My gas furnace has been running for the winter season for three weeks with no problems. For the last couple of days it randomly smells like something electrical burning, especially in ducts closest to furnace. Some cycles seem to smell worse than others.  On inspection cannot see any frayed or suspicious wires, the blower fan is turning freely and is not hot, furnace filters are new, capacitor is not hot to touch. Is it safe to continue using until repaired? Thank you

[shopgirl]

I shouldn't have asked is it safe to continue using until repaired as you have no way of knowing without seeing it. Do you have any suggestions of what I can do to see what the problem is or how to resolve it? Any input is greatly appreciated, thank you.

[Terry Carmen]

> Any input is greatly appreciated, thank you.

Really, all you can do is call a furnace guy.

If you have an electronic (electrostatic / UV / etc) air filter, you should be able to turn it off and see if the smell stops. Other than that, someone will need to look at it.

Literally any component in the furnace could be burning or smoking or just hot. There's simply no way to know.

Edited November 26, 2019 by Terry Carmen

[shopgirl]

 I had a furnace guy in this afternoon, he checked everything and couldn't find what is causing it. He said he thought I might have a cracked heat exchange but it wasn't cracked, no parts were hot, everything is working as it should. He said after 3 days if something had gotten through the filter it should have burnt off by now and there was nothing there.  The smell is not around the furnace at all in the basement, only when it comes out of a few vents on the first floor. He had a meter he held above my floor vents and throughout the house and said for air quality the furnace is safe to use. The first ducts that come off the furnace is where the smell is very strong. When the furnace is shut off for awhile and then turned back on it doesn't smell the first cycle but the smell is strong on the second cycle and from then on. One of the ducts has some coax running through it to an upstairs bedroom, its been there for about 20 years. He said that wouldn't cause a problem but did pull about 6" of the coax out of the ductwork and it looked fine.  Thank you Terry for your reply, I appreciate it.