When your air conditioner is fresh and working correctly, it’s expected that you won’t smell anything strange. Out-of-the-ordinary air conditioner noises and strange smells are a hint that something is out of whack. If your air conditioner is past its prime or you haven’t had a tune-up completed within the last year, it can be an obvious sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Marshfield.
Here are six of the most frequent air conditioner smells and how you can repair them.
- Central Air Conditioner Smells Like Chemicals
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Ice crystals on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your home cold or achieving your programmed temperature.
- High utility costs.
- Air Conditioner Smells Like Gas
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Going outside right away.
- Get in touch with your gas company without delay.
- Air Conditioner Smells Musty
- Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
- A filthy filter
- Too much condensation
- Blocked condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
- Air Conditioner Smells Like Burning Plastic
- Broken capacitor that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunctions.
- Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
If your air conditioner smells bad when turned on, specifically a chemical smell, it isn’t a great sign. You could also report your:
These sweet, chemical scents are typically a hint that your air conditioner is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system uses this gas to transfer heat through copper coils, which can break out over time.
Four Signs You Are Experiencing a Refrigerant Leak
Aside from the strange smell, here are four other clues that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak needs experienced support from a heating and cooling company like House of Heating, Inc.. Your cooling professional will locate and fix the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak typically costs between $225 and $1,600, per nationwide averages put together by HomeAdvisor. Your precise cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it takes to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed earlier than 2010, it likely uses R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made due to its harmful effects on the ozone layer. Due to this, repairs can be very expensive, so it may be wisest to schedule air conditioning installation in this situation.
If your air conditioner smells like rotten eggs, there’s likely nothing wrong with it. But there’s a significant likelihood you have a natural gas leak in your residence. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to warn you when there’s a leak, since the gas can be toxic in large amounts.
How You Can Fix It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
Homeowners who reach out to us to report this issue often mention their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks, or a locker room when it runs. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is frequently caused by a dirty evaporator coil that has mold, mildew, and bacterial buildup. Moisture can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most typical in locations where you turn on the heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling during the afternoon.
How to Fix It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely change your air filter and schedule annual air conditioning maintenance with House of Heating, Inc.. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, because standing water can also produce unpleasant odors.
If you are experiencing an air conditioner mildew smell or an acidic, vinegar-like odor, it can be caused by several situations, including:
How to Resolve 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, it’s time to replace it. If that doesn’t fix the problem, call House of Heating, Inc. at (715) 384-3163.
If you’re dealing with an air conditioner burning smell or if your air conditioner smells like fish, there could be several things wrong. These involve:
Electrical issues should be checked quickly to avoid a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, switch it off and reach us at (715) 384-3163 immediately.
A strong ammonia odor means there could be mold growing within your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold creates.
How to Solve It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your wellness. That’s why it’s important to have a specialist like House of Heating, Inc. examine your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when needed.
Our Professionals Can Get Rid of Odd Air Conditioner Smells Quickly
You deserve to be cozy in your home and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are seeking relief from your smelly air conditioner, contact us at (715) 384-3163. We’ll figure out the trouble quickly and fix it at a competitive rate.
