Reasons That Your Air Conditioner Have Odors
How would you feel after a long day at work and coming home sweaty and exhausted and needing some fresh air on your skin and then turning on the air conditioner only to notice a terrible smell coming from the air conditioner. The smell of the air conditioner can be so terrible that you are forced to turn off your air conditioner. At this point you will be wondering what could have caused this.
In this article, we reveal six reasons why the air conditioner smells bad and how best to fix the problem. The air conditioner smell can be anything; it can smell like wet socks or smoke, and sometimes it smells like something burned. Below is a short list of possible air conditioner smells and what to do in such a situation.
Types of Air Conditioner Odor, some of the Causes and what can be done to remove it
AC Smells like Car Exhaust
It is very unlikely that an air conditioner will smell like car exhaust as the air conditioner does not have an internal combustion engine. The problem most often is that the air conditioner uses liquids and therefore can smell of exhaust fumes when heated. This usually happens when your refrigerant line has a leak. This can affect the performance of the air conditioner.
Call a professional to fix the leaks. A leak can be very dangerous, so a quick repair is very important. You can reduce the smell while waiting by opening the windows and keeping the house well ventilated. This eliminates bad smells and prevents any form of dangerous attacks.
The Air Conditioner Smells like Something is on Fire
The air conditioning system consists of many electrical components. It has circuit wires, fans and compressors, etc. If the AC smells like hot gunpowder or possibly plastic, it means one of the many plastic components in the system is on fire. Whenever this happens, it is advisable to turn off your air conditioner and consult a local professional to fix the problem.
It is not recommended to fix this problem yourself. Sometimes this odor can occur when dust builds up on the device due to the power adapter not being used for a long time. This dust can usually burn and emit an unpleasant odor. This smell may go away after a while, but if it persists for a long time, you should turn off the AC power and ask a professional to fix it.
The Air Conditioner Smells like Rotten Eggs or a Dead Animal
This usually happens when there are dead rodents or creatures stuck in the air conditioner. The smell usually comes from a dead bird or insects that have entered the duct and then become trapped. When they die, they rot and the smell comes out as soon as you turn on the air conditioner.
To prevent lizards or other rodents from walking through the duct and entering the air conditioner, it is best to protect your device from pests to avoid unpleasant scenarios and prevent your air conditioner from blowing out the air. What you can do in this situation is to locate the channel where the odor is most unpleasant. Unscrew it and wipe it clean after removing the dead carcass.
The Air Conditioner Smells like Cigarette Smoke.
Your house is likely to smell of cigarettes if you smoke often. Cigarette smoke usually ends up in the filter and evaporator coil. When the air conditioner turns on, the embedded tobacco particles float around the house creating that foul smell. To get rid of the bad smell of the air conditioner vents, you can change the air filter once every 30 or 60 days and clean the air conditioner regularly. It is also recommended to smoke outside.
AC has a Smell of Leaking Gas
It remains one of the most alarming smells on this list. Gas leaks should not be taken lightly, they most often indicate a gas leak in the system. Methyl mercaptan is added to odorless natural gas to give it a distinctive smell. This makes detection easier to avoid serious damage that may be caused. As soon as this smell is noticed, quickly shut off your gas supply and contact a professional to solve the problem.
Air Conditioning Smells Moldy or Musty
Sometimes you may notice a foul odor from your air conditioner, which may be musty. When this happens, it usually indicates that water has accumulated in the drain pan or drip lines. This leads to the formation of fungus or mold.
In most cases of water accumulation, you can see it as water running down your wall. In other cases it can be due to the use of very bad filters. If you live in a humid environment, water can collect in the filters. You can contact a professional cleaner to thoroughly clean the AC ducts and wiring.
In summary, bad odors in your home can be caused by some of the factors already mentioned, and proper air conditioning cleaning and maintenance can help reduce them. Make sure these devices are repaired promptly and try not to mask the odor with air fresheners or air purifiers.
Carrano Air can help if your air conditioner smells bad. Call us today at (732) 329-3784 to schedule a service appointment.