When your air conditioner is clean and running properly, it’s expected you won’t be smelling anything strange. Peculiar air conditioner noises and odd smells are a sign that something is out of whack. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had service scheduled recently, they can be an obvious sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Temple/Belton .
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, particularly a chemical odor, it isn’t a great 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 is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system needs this gas to shift heat through copper coils, which can break out as time goes on.
Four Clues You Have a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the odd smell, here are four other clues that you have a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is operating.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your house cool or reaching your set temperature.
- High utility costs.
How You Can Take Care of It
A refrigerant leak needs skilled assistance from a heating and cooling company like Bell Air Conditioning Inc. Your cooling technician will locate and mend the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Fixing a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, according to nationwide averages assembled by HomeAdvisor. Your exact cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how much time it needs to fix.
If your air conditioner was installed earlier than 2010, there’s a good chance it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being manufactured as a result of its harmful effects on the ozone layer. As a result, repairs can be very expensive so it may be best to do air conditioning installation in this situation.
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 probability you have a natural gas leak in your house. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to warn you when there’s a leak, because the gas can be fatal in big amounts.
How You Can Solve It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we suggest:
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Going outside right away.
- Contacting your gas company now.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Individuals who contact us to report this issue frequently mention their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it runs. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is usually linked to a filthy evaporator coil that has mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. Moisture can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most often seen in climates where you turn on heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling during the afternoon.
How to Repair It
The best way to prevent dirty sock syndrome is to regularly replace your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with Bell Air Conditioning Inc. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, because standing water can also produce unpleasant odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are dealing with air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it might be prompted by several situations, including:
- A clogged filter
- Extra condensation
- Blocked condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Fix It
Examine 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 resolve the smell, contact Bell Air Conditioning Inc at 254-307-9572.
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 several things wrong. These entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunctions.
Electrical malfunctions should be examined right away to avoid a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, turn it off and contact us at 254-307-9572 without delay.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
An overpowering ammonia odor means there might be mold present in your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold makes.
How to Fix It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your well-being. That’s why it’s important to have a pro like Bell Air Conditioning Inc look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when recommended.
Our Specialists Can Get Rid of Unpleasant Air Conditioner Smells Quickly
You deserve to be cozy in your residence and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your smelly air conditioner, reach us at 254-307-9572. We’ll diagnose the issue quickly and resolve it at a reasonable.