When your air conditioner is spotless and running properly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything odd. Abnormal air conditioner noises and strange smells are a clue that something is out of whack. If your air conditioner is past its prime or you haven’t had service completed lately, they can be an obvious sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Brookfield.
Here are six of the most frequent 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, particularly a chemical smell, it isn’t a great sign. You may also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical smells are often a clue that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system needs this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can break out over time.
Four Hints You Have a Refrigerant Leak
Aside from the strange smell, here are four other clues that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Difficulty keeping your residence comfortable or reaching your programmed temperature.
- Higher electrical bills.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak needs professional repairs from a heating and cooling company like Central Air LLC. Your cooling specialist will pinpoint and mend the leak before recharging your system with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, based on 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 repair.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, there’s a good chance it uses R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being produced as a result of its harmful effects on the ozone layer. Consequently, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be smartest to do air conditioning installation in this instance.
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 likelihood you have a natural gas leak in your residence. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, as the gas can be toxic in heavy concentrations.
How You Can Repair It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home right away.
- Contacting your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Individuals who contact us about this problem frequently share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s running. Also known as dirty sock syndrome, this smell is usually linked to a grubby evaporator coil that has mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. Moisture can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most typical in areas where you need heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling later on.
How to Solve It
The best way to prevent dirty sock syndrome is to regularly replace your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with Central Air LLC. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, since standing water can also create nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are dealing with air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it can be the result of several situations, including:
- A dirty filter
- Too much condensation
- Plugged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Fix It
Check your filter first. If you haven’t put in a new one within the last three months and can’t see light through it, we recommend replacing it. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, call Central Air LLC at 203-357-5913.
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 several things wrong. These include:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunctions.
Electrical problems should be inspected right away to stop a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, turn it off and contact us at 203-357-5913 without delay.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there may be mold flourishing 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 Central Air LLC check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when recommended.
Our Professionals Can Eliminate Unpleasant Air Conditioner Smells Fast
You deserve to be comfy in your residence and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are seeking relief from your stinky air conditioner, reach us at 203-357-5913. We’ll determine the trouble quickly and fix it at a reasonable.