When your air conditioner is spotless and operating correctly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything strange. Peculiar air conditioner noises and weird smells are a sign that something is out of whack. If your air conditioner is getting older or you haven’t had service done within the last year, they can be a sure sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Tucker.
Here are six of the top air conditioner smells and how you can fix them.
1. Central Air Conditioner Smells Like Chemicals
If your air conditioner smells bad when turned on, especially a chemical odor, it isn’t a positive sign. You may also notice your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical smells are often a sign that your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to shift heat through copper coils, which can wear out as time goes on.
Four Hints You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the strange smell, here are four other hints that you have a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is on.
- Ice crystals on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Difficulty keeping your house comfortable or achieving your programmed temperature.
- High energy expenses.
How You Can Take Care of It
A refrigerant leak calls for experienced assistance from a heating and cooling company like ACS Heating and Air Conditioning. Your cooling technician will locate and fix the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, per nationwide averages put together by HomeAdvisor. Your precise cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how much time it requires to repair.
If your air conditioner was installed earlier than 2010, it’s likely it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being produced due to its damaging effects on the ozone layer. As a result, repairs can be extremely expensive so it may be smartest to do air conditioning installation in this circumstance.
2. Air Conditioner Smells Like Gas
If your air conditioner smells like rotten eggs, there’s possibly nothing wrong with it. But there’s a good chance you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to warn you when there’s a leak, since the gas can be fatal in large amounts.
How You Can Fix It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home right away.
- Contacting your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who contact us to report this situation usually say their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it runs. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is frequently caused by a filthy evaporator coil that has mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. Excess water can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most common in locations where you need heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling during the afternoon.
How to Fix It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely change your air filter and schedule routine air conditioning maintenance with ACS Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system flowing, since stagnant water can also create nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are experiencing air conditioner mildew smell or a strong, vinegar-like odor, it might be the result of several situations, including:
- A clogged filter
- Excess condensation
- Clogged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Resolve It
Inspect your filter first. If you haven’t replaced it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, we recommend replacing it. If that doesn’t fix the issue, reach ACS Heating and Air Conditioning at 770-450-1539.
5. Air Conditioner Smells Like Burning Plastic
If you’re experiencing an air conditioner burning smell or that your air conditioner smells like fish, there could be a number of things wrong. These involve:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical trouble.
Electrical malfunctions should be inspected right away to stop a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, switch it off and reach us at 770-450-1539 right away.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A powerful ammonia odor means there may be mold flourishing inside your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold creates.
How to Repair It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your wellness. That’s why we recommend having a specialist like ACS Heating and Air Conditioning look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Specialists Can Take Care of Odd Air Conditioner Smells Fast
You deserve to be cozy in your home and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are looking for relief from your noxious air conditioner, contact us at 770-450-1539. We’ll diagnose the trouble quickly and take care of it at a competitive.
