When your air conditioner is fresh and operating correctly, it’s not normal to be smelling anything weird. Out of the ordinary air conditioner noises and strange smells are a clue that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had service completed within the last year, they can be an obvious sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Carpentersville.
Here are six of the most common air conditioner smells and how you can resolve 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 could also notice your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are regularly a hint that your air conditioner is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system uses this gas to shift heat through copper coils, which can crack as time goes on.
Four signs you have a refrigerant leak.
Aside from the odd smell, here are four other clues that you are experiencing a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is on.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Difficulty keeping your home comfortable or reaching your desired temperature.
- Higher energy expenses.
How You Can Take Care of It
A refrigerant leak needs professional assistance from a heating and cooling company like Controlled Comfort HVAC. Your cooling professional will locate and repair the leak before recharging your system with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak usually costs between $225 and $1,600, according to nationwide averages put together by HomeAdvisor. Your total cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how long it requires to fix.
If your air conditioner was installed early than 2010, there’s a high probability it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being manufactured because of its negative effects on the ozone layer. Because of this, repairs can be extremely 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 probably 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 fatal in large amounts.
How You Can Repair It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home promptly.
- Calling your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who contact us about this problem usually report their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it runs. Also known as 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 locations where you use heating at night and during the morning before transitioning to cooling later in the day.
How to Solve It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to frequently change your air filter and schedule annual air conditioning maintenance with Controlled Comfort HVAC. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, as standing water can also create nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are dealing with air conditioner mildew smell or an acidic, vinegar-like odor, it could be prompted by several situations, like:
- A dirty filter
- Too much condensation
- Clogged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Fix It
Examine your filter first. If you haven’t put in a new one within the last three months and can’t see light through it, it’s time to replace it. If that doesn’t fix the issue, call Controlled Comfort HVAC at 224-412-8308.
5. Air Conditioner Smells Like Burning Plastic
If you’re noticing 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 problem.
Electrical problems should be checked right away to stop a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is on, turn it off and reach us at 224-412-8308 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there could be mold flourishing inside your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold creates.
How to Fix It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your well-being. That’s why it’s important to have a specialist like Controlled Comfort HVAC look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when recommended.
Our Professionals Can Eliminate Unpleasant Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly.
You deserve to be comfy 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 224-412-8308. We’ll diagnose the problem quickly and fix it at a competitive.
