When your air conditioner is clean and working right, it’s expected you won’t be smelling anything odd. Out of the ordinary air conditioner noises and strange smells are a clue that something is up. If your air conditioner is past its prime or you haven’t had a tune-up completed recently, they can be a clear sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Litchfield Park.
Here are six of the most common 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, specifically a chemical smell, it isn’t a positive sign. You could also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical smells are often a hint that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to shift heat through copper coils, which can break out as time passes.
Four Signs You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the strange smell, here are four other signs that you are experiencing a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is operating.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Difficulty keeping your residence comfortable or achieving your desired temperature.
- High electrical costs.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak calls for skilled support from a heating and cooling company like Cooler Tymes LLC. Your cooling pro will find and mend the leak before recharging your system with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak usually costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages compiled by HomeAdvisor. Your precise cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it requires to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed prior to 2010, it’s likely it runs on R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made because of its damaging effects on the ozone layer. As a result, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be wisest to consider air conditioning installation in this circumstance.
2. Air Conditioner Smells Like Gas
If your air conditioner smells like rotten eggs, there’s likely nothing wrong with it. But there’s a good probability you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, since the gas can be toxic in big amounts.
How You Can Fix It
If you notice a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we suggest:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home right away.
- Calling your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
People who call us regarding this problem frequently share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it runs. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is often 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 locations where you turn on heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling later on.
How to Solve It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely replace your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with Cooler Tymes LLC. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, as stagnant water can also create nasty 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 the result of several problems, including:
- A clogged filter
- Extra condensation
- Plugged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Fix It
Check your filter first. If you haven’t changed it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, it’s time to replace it. If that doesn’t solve the smell, contact Cooler Tymes LLC at 623-208-6444.
5. Air Conditioner Smells Like Burning Plastic
If you’re dealing with 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 trouble.
Electrical malfunctions should be examined immediately to prevent a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is on, shut it off and reach us at 623-208-6444 without delay.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A powerful ammonia odor means there could be mold spreading within your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold produces.
How to Fix It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why it’s important to have a professional like Cooler Tymes LLC look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Pros Can Take Care of Unpleasant Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be comfortable in your residence and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are looking for relief from your stinky air conditioner, contact us at 623-208-6444. We’ll diagnose the issue quickly and resolve it at a reasonable.