When your air conditioner is fresh and operating correctly, it’s expected you won’t be smelling anything strange. Unusual air conditioner noises and odd smells are a sign that something is up. If your air conditioner is aging or you haven’t had service scheduled within the last year, they can be a sure sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Dresden.
Here are six of the most common air conditioner smells and how you can solve them.
1. Central Air Conditioner Smells Like Chemicals
If your air conditioner smells bad when turned on, especially a chemical scent, it isn’t a positive sign. You might also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are frequently a hint that your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can break out as time passes.
Four Signs You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the weird smell, here are four other clues that you have a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Difficulty keeping your house cold or achieving your set temperature.
- High energy bills.
How You Can Take Care of It
A refrigerant leak calls for experienced assistance from a heating and cooling company like McFadden Heating & Cooling. Your cooling professional will find and mend the leak before recharging your air conditioner with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak usually costs between $225 and $1,600, according to nationwide averages compiled by HomeAdvisor. Your exact cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it takes to fix.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, there’s a good chance it runs on R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being produced because of its harmful effects on the ozone layer. Due to this, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be wisest to consider air conditioning installation in this situation.
2. Air Conditioner Smells Like Gas
If your air conditioner smells like rotten eggs, there’s probably nothing wrong with it. But there’s a high likelihood you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to warn you when there’s a leak, because the gas can be deadly in large amounts.
How You Can Fix It
If you detect a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home right away.
- Getting in touch with your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who reach us regarding this situation often share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s on. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is frequently linked to a dirty 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 climates where you need heating at night and during the morning before transitioning to cooling during the afternoon.
How to Solve It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to regularly replace your air filter and schedule routine air conditioning maintenance with McFadden Heating & Cooling. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, since standing water can also produce unpleasant odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are living with air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it can be prompted by several issues, such as:
- A filthy filter
- Excess condensation
- Plugged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Solve It
Inspect your filter first. If you haven’t changed it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, you should replace it. If that doesn’t fix the problem, call McFadden Heating & Cooling at 519-683-2339.
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 entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that needs lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical problem.
Electrical malfunctions should be inspected right away to prevent a fire. If you notice burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, shut it off and call us at 519-683-2339 without delay.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there might be mold present inside your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold makes.
How to Repair It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why we recommend having a pro like McFadden Heating & Cooling look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when recommended.
Our Pros Can Eliminate Odd Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be cozy in your residence and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your stinky air conditioner, give us a call at 519-683-2339. We’ll diagnose the issue quickly and take care of it at a reasonable.