When your air conditioner is spotless and running properly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything weird. Unusual air conditioner noises and strange smells are a clue that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is aging 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 Alliance.
Here are six of the most common air conditioner smells and how you can repair them.
1. Central Air Conditioner Smells Like Chemicals
If your air conditioner smells bad when turned on, specifically a chemical odor, isn’t a great sign. You might also observe your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are regularly a sign that your air conditioner is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system uses this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can break out as time passes.
4 Signs You Are Experiencing a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the weird smell, here are four other signs that you have a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is on.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your house cold or reaching your set temperature.
- High utility costs.
How You Can Repair It
A refrigerant leak calls for experienced repairs from a heating and cooling company like Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces. Your cooling pro will pinpoint and mend the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak typically costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages compiled by HomeAdvisor. Your exact cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how much time it requires to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, there’s a high probability it runs on R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being produced due to its harmful effects on the ozone layer. As a result, repairs can be extremely expensive so it may be smartest to do air conditioning installation in this instance.
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 house. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to warn you when there’s a leak, as the gas can be toxic in big amounts.
How You Can Repair It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we suggest:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home right away.
- Call your gas company now.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
People who contact us about this issue frequently say their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s on. Also referred to as dirty sock syndrome, this smell is usually caused by a dirty 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 locations where you need heating at night and during the morning before switching to cooling later on.
How to Solve It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to frequently get a new air filter and schedule routine air conditioning maintenance with Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, because stagnant water can also create nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are living with air conditioner mildew smell or a strong, vinegar-like odor, it might be caused by several problems, such as:
- A filthy filter
- Extra condensation
- Blocked condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Resolve It
Check your filter first. If you haven’t replaced it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, we recommend replacing it. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, call Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces at 308-321-4703.
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 a number of things wrong. These include:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical trouble.
Electrical malfunctions should be checked immediately to stop a fire. If you notice burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, turn it off and call us at 308-321-4703 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
An overpowering 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 creates.
How to Fix It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your well-being. That’s why it’s important to have a specialist like Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces examine your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Professionals Can Take Care of Weird Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be comfortable in your home and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are looking for relief from your smelly air conditioner, give us a call at 308-321-4703. We’ll determine the trouble quickly and resolve it at a reasonable.