Thanks to a desired change in career, I found myself needing to get a new place fast. So, I quickly moved into this condo near my new place of work. I didn’t think too much about it; it was affordable and close to work, plus it allowed for my little dog. The place looked great, and the building seemed well-maintained. I signed the mortgage on it without a care. I was really too excited about this new career! I’ve only been here for about three weeks, but winter is coming and I needed the heater just last night. However, after a few hours of cranking it up for the first time, I noticed a peculiar, musty smell. I did not think this was alarming, since the condo hadn’t been lived in for quite some time. But then I got to thinking about the odor. The condo hasn’t been lived in for a while, so has the HVAC system been wasting away? Reluctantly, I declined to use the heating and called the first heating and air conditioning company I could after a night using my heated blanket. Sure enough, when the heating and A/C repairman came over the next day, he said I made the right decision. It would seem a part had broken on the oil furnace and the smell I detected was indicative of its demise. Luckily, I shut it down in time before the damage could spread, so he only needed to fix a simple problem, rather than replace the entire system. Next time, I will remember to have an HVAC service call before starting up the central heater next cold season.