When your air conditioner is clean and operating right, you shouldn’t be smelling anything strange. Peculiar air conditioner noises and weird smells are a hint that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is getting older or you haven’t had maintenance done recently, they can be an obvious sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Rockford.
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, especially a chemical scent, it isn’t a great sign. You may also observe your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are often a clue that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can wear out over time.
Four Signs You Are Experiencing a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the strange smell, here are four other signs that you have a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is operating.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your house cold or reaching your set temperature.
- Higher electrical expenses.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak requires skilled support from a heating and cooling company like Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling. Your cooling pro will pinpoint and repair the leak before recharging your air conditioner with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak typically costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages put together by HomeAdvisor. Your exact cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how long it needs to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it’s likely it uses R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made because of its harmful effects on the ozone layer. As a result, repairs can be extremely expensive so it may be wisest to schedule air conditioning installation in this instance.
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 high probability you have a natural gas leak in your house. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, as the gas can be fatal in large amounts.
How You Can Repair It
If you detect a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we suggest:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Going outside right away.
- Getting in touch with your gas company without delay.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who contact us to report this situation usually report their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s running. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is usually created by a dirty 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 often seen in areas where you use heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling later on.
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 Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system flowing, as standing water can also lead to unpleasant odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are living with air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it might be prompted by several problems, such as:
- A dirty filter
- Excess condensation
- Blocked condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Repair It
Inspect your filter first. If you haven’t changed it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, we recommend replacing it. If that doesn’t resolve the problem, contact Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling at (815) 914-6197.
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 entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunctions.
Electrical issues should be inspected immediately to prevent a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, switch it off and reach us at (815) 914-6197 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A powerful ammonia odor means there might be mold spreading inside 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 you should have a professional like Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when recommended.
Our Professionals Can Take Care of Strange Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be comfy in your house and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your noxious air conditioner, give us a call at (815) 914-6197. We’ll determine the trouble quickly and take care of it at a reasonable.