When your air conditioner is spotless and working correctly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything weird. Unexpected air conditioner noises and strange smells are a sign that something is off. If your air conditioner is aging or you haven’t had a tune-up scheduled lately, they can be a sure sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Moline.
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, particularly a chemical smell, it isn’t a positive sign. You could also observe your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are often a hint that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to transfer heat through copper coils, which can break out as time passes.
Four Clues You Have a Refrigerant Leak
Aside from the strange smell, here are four other signs that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your home comfortable or having your desired temperature.
- Increasing energy costs.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak requires experienced support from a heating and cooling company like J.L. Brady Company LLC. Your cooling pro will pinpoint and fix the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak typically costs between $225 and $1,600, according to nationwide averages put together by HomeAdvisor. Your total cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how long it takes to repair.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it’s likely it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made because of its adverse effects on the ozone layer. Due to this, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be best to consider 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 good chance you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to alert you when there’s a leak, because the gas can be toxic in heavy concentrations.
How You Can Repair It
If you notice a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Going outside promptly.
- Getting in touch with your gas company without delay.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
People who call us about this situation often 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 need heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling later on.
How to Repair It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely change your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with J.L. Brady Company LLC. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, because standing water can also produce noxious odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are experiencing air conditioner mildew smell or an acidic, vinegar-like odor, it could be caused by several situations, like:
- A dirty filter
- Excess 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 fix the problem, contact J.L. Brady Company LLC at 309-517-7511.
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 requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical problem.
Electrical problems should be examined immediately to stop a fire. If you notice burning plastic when your air conditioner is on, shut it off and call us at 309-517-7511 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 Solve It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your well-being. That’s why it’s important to have a specialist like J.L. Brady Company LLC examine your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Specialists Can Eliminate Weird Air Conditioner Smells Quickly
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 stinky air conditioner, give us a call at 309-517-7511. We’ll diagnose the problem quickly and take care of it at a fair price.
