When your air conditioner is clean and working properly, it’s expected you won’t be smelling anything odd. Unexpected air conditioner noises and odd smells are a clue that something is up. If your air conditioner is getting older or you haven’t had service scheduled recently, they can be an obvious sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Alice.
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, especially a chemical scent, it isn’t a positive sign. You might also observe your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical smells are typically a clue that your air conditioner is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to transfer heat through copper coils, which can crack as time goes on.
Four Clues You Are Experiencing a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the odd smell, here are four other signs that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner runs.
- Ice crystals on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your house cool or achieving your programmed temperature.
- Increasing energy bills.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak needs professional support from a heating and cooling company like Rescue Heating & Air. Your cooling pro will pinpoint and repair the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Fixing a refrigerant leak usually costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages put together by HomeAdvisor. Your precise cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how much time it takes to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed earlier than 2010, there’s a high probability it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made as a result of its harmful effects on the ozone layer. As a consequence, repairs can be extremely expensive so it may be smartest to schedule air conditioning installation in this situation.
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 significant probability you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to warn you when there’s a leak, since the gas can be fatal in large amounts.
How You Can Fix It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we advise:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home right away.
- Contacting your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Individuals who contact us regarding this situation frequently share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s running. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is frequently created by a grubby 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 typical in areas where you use heating at night and during the morning before switching to cooling later in the day.
How to Solve It
The best way to prevent dirty sock syndrome is to regularly change your air filter and schedule regular air conditioning maintenance with Rescue Heating & Air. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, because stagnant water can also produce unpleasant odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are living with air conditioner mildew smell or an acidic, vinegar-like odor, it could be prompted by several issues, like:
- A clogged filter
- Excess condensation
- Clogged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
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 solve the problem, call Rescue Heating & Air at 361-265-4371.
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 couple of things wrong. These involve:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunctions.
Electrical issues should be checked quickly to stop a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is on, switch it off and contact us at 361-265-4371 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
An overpowering ammonia odor means there may be mold spreading within 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 health. That’s why it’s important to have a specialist like Rescue Heating & Air examine your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when needed.
Our Specialists Can Eliminate Strange Air Conditioner Smells Fast
You deserve to be comfortable in your house and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your stinky air conditioner, reach us at 361-265-4371. We’ll diagnose the problem quickly and take care of it at a reasonable.