When your air conditioner is spotless and working properly, it’s not normal to be smelling anything strange. Peculiar air conditioner noises and weird smells are a hint that something is up. If your air conditioner is getting older or you haven’t had a tune-up completed recently, they can be a sure sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Holdrege.
Here are six of the most frequent 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 great sign. You may also observe your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical smells are frequently a sign that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system needs this gas to transfer heat through copper coils, which can crack as time passes.
Four Signs You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the odd smell, here are four other hints 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.
- Difficulty keeping your home cool or reaching your programmed temperature.
- High electrical bills.
How You Can Take Care of It
A refrigerant leak calls for professional repairs from a heating and cooling company like Durable Service. Your cooling pro will pinpoint and mend the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak often 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 much time it requires to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed prior to 2010, there’s a high probability it runs on R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being produced due to its adverse effects on the ozone layer. Due to this, repairs can be very expensive so it may be wisest to consider air conditioning installation in this instance.
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 good probability you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, as the gas can be toxic in big amounts.
How You Can Repair It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home right away.
- Contacting your gas company without delay.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who contact us regarding this problem often say their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s running. Also known as dirty sock syndrome, this smell is frequently caused 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 common in locations where you use heating at night and during the morning before transitioning to cooling later on.
How to Solve It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to regularly replace your air filter and schedule regular air conditioning maintenance with Durable Service. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, because excess water can also lead to nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are dealing with air conditioner mildew smell or an acidic, vinegar-like odor, it might be prompted by several issues, including:
- A filthy filter
- Extra condensation
- Blocked condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Repair It
Check 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 fix the issue, call Durable Service at 308-995-8177.
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 number of things wrong. These entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical trouble.
Electrical problems should be inspected immediately to avoid a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, turn it off and contact us at 308-995-8177 right away.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
An overpowering ammonia odor means there may be mold present inside your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold produces.
How to Solve It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why you should have a pro like Durable Service check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Professionals Can Eliminate Strange Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be cozy in your house and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are looking for relief from your stinky air conditioner, contact us at 308-995-8177. We’ll diagnose the trouble quickly and take care of it at a reasonable.
