When your air conditioner is clean and operating right, you shouldn’t be smelling anything weird. Unusual air conditioner noises and weird smells are a sign that something is up. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had maintenance scheduled recently, they can be an obvious sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Michigan City.
Here are six of the top air conditioner smells and how you can resolve them.
1. Central Air Conditioner Smells Like Chemicals
If your air conditioner smells bad when turned on, especially a chemical smell, it isn’t a good sign. You might also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical odors are typically a sign that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system needs this gas to transfer heat through copper coils, which can break out as time goes on.
Four Clues You Are Experiencing a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the weird smell, here are four other clues 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.
- It’s hard keeping your residence comfortable or achieving your programmed temperature.
- High energy expenses.
How You Can Take Care of It
A refrigerant leak requires experienced support from a heating and cooling company like Paniccia Heating & Cooling. Your cooling pro will pinpoint and fix the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak usually 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 long it needs to repair.
If your air conditioner was installed earlier than 2010, there’s a high probability it uses R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made as a result of its negative effects on the ozone layer. As a result, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be best to schedule air conditioning installation in this instance.
2. Air Conditioner Smells Like Gas
If your air conditioner smells like rotten eggs, there’s likely nothing wrong with it. But there’s a high chance 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 toxic in large amounts.
How You Can Solve It
If you detect a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we suggest:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Going outside promptly.
- Calling your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who call us about this problem usually report their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s running. Also referred to as dirty sock syndrome, this smell is often caused by a grubby evaporator coil that has mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. Condensation can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most often seen in climates where you use heating at night and during the morning before transitioning to cooling later in the day.
How to Solve It
The best method for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to regularly change your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with Paniccia Heating & Cooling. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, since excess water can also create unpleasant odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are dealing with air conditioner mildew smell or a strong, vinegar-like odor, it might be prompted by several situations, like:
- A filthy filter
- Excess condensation
- Clogged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Resolve 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 solve the issue, reach Paniccia Heating & Cooling at 219-872-2198.
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 involve:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunctions.
Electrical problems should be checked quickly to avoid a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is on, turn it off and contact us at 219-872-2198 without delay.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there could be mold growing inside your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold makes.
How to Solve It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your wellness. That’s why we recommend having a pro like Paniccia Heating & Cooling check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Professionals Can Take Care of Strange Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be comfortable in your home and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your stinky air conditioner, reach us at 219-872-2198. We’ll figure out the trouble quickly and fix it at a reasonable.