When your air conditioner is spotless and working right, you shouldn’t be smelling anything odd. Peculiar air conditioner noises and strange smells are a sign that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is past its prime or you haven’t had a tune-up completed within the last year, they can be an obvious sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Palm Coast.
Here are six of the top 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 good sign. You may also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical odors are typically a clue that your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can break out as time passes.
Four Signs You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the weird smell, here are four other signs that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is operating.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your house comfortable or achieving your desired temperature.
- Higher energy costs.
How You Can Repair It
A refrigerant leak calls for professional assistance from a heating and cooling company like Cooks Air Conditioning and Heating Specialists. Your cooling pro will find and mend the leak before recharging your air conditioner with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak typically costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages compiled by HomeAdvisor. Your total cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how much time it requires to fix.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, there’s a good chance it runs on R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made because of its damaging effects on the ozone layer. As a consequence, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be best to schedule 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 high likelihood 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 deadly in heavy concentrations.
How You Can Fix It
If you detect a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we suggest:
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home right away.
- Getting in touch with your gas company now.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
People who contact us regarding this situation usually say 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 frequently caused by 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 turn on heating at night and during the morning before transitioning to cooling later on.
How to Solve It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely change your air filter and schedule routine air conditioning maintenance with Cooks Air Conditioning and Heating Specialists. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, as excess water can also result in noxious 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 the result of several issues, including:
- A dirty filter
- Too much condensation
- Plugged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Solve 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 solve the problem, call Cooks Air Conditioning and Heating Specialists at 386-313-8766.
5. Air Conditioner Smells Like Burning Plastic
If you’re experiencing an air conditioner burning smell or that your air conditioner smells like fish, there could be several things wrong. These involve:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that needs lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunctions.
Electrical issues should be inspected immediately to stop a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, switch it off and call us at 386-313-8766 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A powerful ammonia odor means there might be mold spreading in your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold makes.
How to Repair It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why it’s important to have a specialist like Cooks Air Conditioning and Heating Specialists look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when recommended.
Our Specialists 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 smelly air conditioner, contact us at 386-313-8766. We’ll determine the problem quickly and fix it at a competitive.