When your air conditioner is fresh and operating correctly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything odd. Unusual air conditioner noises and weird smells are a sign that something is out of whack. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had maintenance completed lately, they can be an obvious sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Tomball.
Here are six of the top 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 smell, it isn’t a great sign. You could also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical smells are frequently a clue that your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to shift heat through copper coils, which can break out as time passes.
Four Clues You Have a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the odd smell, here are four other clues that you are dealing with 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 comfortable or achieving your set temperature.
- High electrical expenses.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak calls for experienced support from a heating and cooling company like Premium Air Services LLC. Your cooling pro will locate and fix the leak before recharging your system with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, per nationwide averages compiled by HomeAdvisor. Your exact cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it needs to repair.
If your air conditioner was installed prior to 2010, there’s a good chance it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made as a result of its harmful effects on the ozone layer. As a consequence, repairs can be very expensive so it may be smartest to do 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 significant likelihood you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, because the gas can be deadly in big amounts.
How You Can Repair It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home as soon as possible.
- Getting in touch with your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
People who reach us about this problem usually mention their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s on. Also known as dirty sock syndrome, this smell is usually caused by a filthy evaporator coil that has mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. Condensation can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most common in locations where you turn on heating at night and during the morning before switching to cooling later in the day.
How to Repair It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely replace your air filter and schedule regular air conditioning maintenance with Premium Air Services LLC. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system flowing, because excess water can also create nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are experiencing air conditioner mildew smell or a strong, vinegar-like odor, it could be prompted by several situations, like:
- A clogged filter
- Too much condensation
- Clogged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Resolve It
Inspect your filter first. If you haven’t put in a new one within the last three months and can’t see light through it, we recommend replacing it. If that doesn’t solve the smell, contact Premium Air Services LLC at 713-364-9957.
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 several things wrong. These include:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical issue.
Electrical problems should be checked quickly to avoid a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, shut it off and reach us at 713-364-9957 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 produces.
How to Repair It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why it’s important to have a specialist like Premium Air Services LLC look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Specialists Can Take Care of Unpleasant Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be comfy in your house and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are seeking relief from your stinky air conditioner, reach us at 713-364-9957. We’ll determine the problem quickly and resolve it at a competitive.