When your air conditioner is spotless and running correctly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything odd. Peculiar air conditioner noises and strange smells are a sign that something is up. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had maintenance done lately, they can be a sure sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Hudsonville.
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, specifically 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 scents are often a sign that your air conditioner is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can wear out as time goes on.
Four hints you are dealing with 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 cooling.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your home cool or achieving your desired temperature.
- High electrical expenses.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak requires professional assistance from a heating and cooling company like West Michigan Heating & Air Conditioning Services. Your cooling professional will locate and mend the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, according to nationwide averages assembled by HomeAdvisor. Your precise cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it needs to fix.
If your air conditioner was installed early than 2010, there’s a high probability it uses R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made due to its adverse 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 situation.
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 probability you have a natural gas leak in your residence. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, as the gas can be fatal in big amounts.
How You Can Fix It
If you detect a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we advise:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home as soon as possible.
- Getting in touch with your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
People who call us regarding this problem usually say their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s on. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is often created 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 climates where you turn on heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling during the afternoon.
How to Repair It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to regularly replace your air filter and schedule routine air conditioning maintenance with West Michigan Heating & Air Conditioning Services. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, because excess water can also result in nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are dealing with air conditioner mildew smell or a strong, vinegar-like odor, it could be prompted by several issues, such as:
- A filthy filter
- Too much condensation
- Clogged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Solve It
Examine your filter first. If you haven’t replaced it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, it’s time to replace it. If that doesn’t resolve the smell, call West Michigan Heating & Air Conditioning Services at (616) 319-1436.
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 include:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunction.
Electrical malfunctions should be inspected immediately to prevent a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, switch it off and call us at (616) 319-1436 without delay.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
An overpowering ammonia odor means there could be mold present within your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold creates.
How to Repair It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your wellness. That’s why it’s important to have a specialist like West Michigan Heating & Air Conditioning Services look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Professionals Can Eliminate Odd Air Conditioner Smells Fast.
You deserve to be cozy in your residence and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are looking for relief from your noxious air conditioner, reach us at (616) 319-1436. We’ll diagnose the problem quickly and take care of it at a reasonable.
