When your air conditioner is fresh and operating right, you shouldn’t be smelling anything strange. Unexpected air conditioner noises and odd smells are a sign that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had maintenance completed within the last year, they can be a clear sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Florissant and St. Charles.
Here are six of the most frequent 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, specifically a chemical scent, it isn’t a good sign. You could also observe your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are typically a sign that your air conditioner is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to transfer heat through copper coils, which can crack over time.
Four Clues You Are Experiencing a Refrigerant Leak
Aside from the odd smell, here are four other signs that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is on.
- Ice crystals on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your residence comfortable or achieving your desired temperature.
- Higher energy costs.
How You Can Repair It
A refrigerant leak requires experienced repairs from a heating and cooling company like B & B Heating & Cooling. Your cooling specialist will pinpoint and mend the leak before recharging your system with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak usually costs between $225 and $1,600, according to nationwide averages compiled by HomeAdvisor. Your precise cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how much time it requires to repair.
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 because of its harmful effects on the ozone layer. Consequently, repairs can be extremely expensive so it may be best to do air conditioning installation in this situation.
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 significant likelihood you have a natural gas leak in your residence. 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 Fix It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we advise:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home right away.
- Calling your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Individuals who reach us about this situation often share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s running. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is often created by a filthy 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 climates where you need 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 routinely replace your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with B & B Heating & Cooling. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, since stagnant water can also create unpleasant odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are experiencing air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it could be caused by several issues, like:
- A clogged filter
- Excess condensation
- Blocked condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Repair 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, call B & B Heating & Cooling at 314-325-7552.
5. Air Conditioner Smells Like Burning Plastic
If you’re experiencing 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 trouble.
Electrical malfunctions should be inspected right away to stop a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, shut it off and call us at 314-325-7552 right away.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A powerful ammonia odor means there may be mold flourishing 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 well-being. That’s why we recommend having a specialist like B & B Heating & Cooling check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when needed.
Our Specialists Can Take Care of Strange Air Conditioner Smells Quickly
You deserve to be comfy in your house and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your stinky air conditioner, contact us at 314-325-7552. We’ll diagnose the problem quickly and fix it at a fair price.