When your air conditioner is fresh and working properly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything weird. Unusual air conditioner noises and weird smells are a hint that something is off. If your air conditioner is past its prime or you haven’t had a tune-up scheduled recently, they can be a clear sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Front Royal.
Here are six of the top air conditioner smells and how you can resolve 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 good sign. You might also notice your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical odors are often a clue that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to transfer heat through copper coils, which can wear out over time.
Four Clues You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the weird smell, here are four other clues that you have a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Ice crystals on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your residence cold or reaching your desired temperature.
- Increasing energy expenses.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak needs experienced support from a heating and cooling company like Dave's Diversified Services. Your cooling pro will pinpoint and mend the leak before recharging your system with refrigerant.
Fixing a refrigerant leak typically costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages put together by HomeAdvisor. Your precise cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how long it takes to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed earlier than 2010, there’s a good chance it runs on R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being manufactured as a result of its adverse effects on the ozone layer. As a result, repairs can be significantly 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 possibly nothing wrong with it. But there’s a high chance you have a natural gas leak in your house. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, since the gas can be deadly in big amounts.
How You Can Repair It
If you detect a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home right away.
- Getting in touch with your gas company now.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who reach us about this situation frequently mention their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s running. Also referred to as dirty sock syndrome, this smell is usually linked to 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 typical in climates where you need heating at night and during the morning before switching to cooling later on.
How to Solve It
The best method for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely get a new air filter and schedule routine air conditioning maintenance with Dave's Diversified Services. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system flowing, because stagnant 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 can be the result of several problems, such as:
- A filthy filter
- Extra condensation
- Plugged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Resolve It
Inspect your filter first. If you haven’t changed it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, we recommend replacing it. If that doesn’t fix the problem, reach Dave's Diversified Services at 540-636-3396.
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 couple of things wrong. These entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical trouble.
Electrical malfunctions should be examined immediately to prevent a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, shut it off and contact us at 540-636-3396 without delay.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there might be mold present in 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 health. That’s why you should have a pro like Dave's Diversified Services examine your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when needed.
Our Specialists Can Take Care of Weird Air Conditioner Smells Fast
You deserve to be cozy in your house and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your noxious air conditioner, contact us at 540-636-3396. We’ll diagnose the issue quickly and resolve it at a fair price.