When your air conditioner is clean and operating correctly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything weird. Unexpected air conditioner noises and odd smells are a clue that something is off. If your air conditioner is past its prime or you haven’t had service completed within the last year, they can be a clear sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Lexington.
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, particularly a chemical smell, isn’t a great sign. You could also notice your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical odors are typically a clue that your air conditioner is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system uses this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can crack as time passes.
4 Hints You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the strange smell, here are four other clues that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is operating.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Difficulty keeping your home comfortable or having your programmed temperature.
- Increasing utility costs.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak calls for experienced repairs from a heating and cooling company like James Heating & A/C, Inc. Your cooling technician will locate and mend the leak before recharging your system with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak usually costs between $225 and $1,600, per nationwide averages assembled by HomeAdvisor. Your total cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how much time it takes to fix.
If your air conditioner was installed before 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 negative effects on the ozone layer. Because of this, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be smartest to schedule 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 high probability you have a natural gas leak in your residence. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to alert you when there’s a leak, because the gas can be fatal in large amounts.
How You Can Solve It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we advise:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Going outside as soon as possible.
- Call your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Individuals who call us regarding this problem 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 typically created 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 need 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 frequently change your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with James Heating & A/C, Inc. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system flowing, as standing water can also create nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are living with air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it can be prompted by several problems, such as:
- 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, you should replace it. If that doesn’t fix the issue, reach James Heating & A/C, Inc at 336-853-6070.
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 needs lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical trouble.
Electrical issues should be examined quickly to stop a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, switch it off and call us at 336-853-6070 right away.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there could be mold growing inside your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold produces.
How to Fix It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your well-being. That’s why we recommend having a specialist like James Heating & A/C, Inc look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when needed.
Our Specialists Can Take Care of Strange Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be comfortable in your house and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are seeking relief from your smelly air conditioner, reach us at 336-853-6070. We’ll determine the issue quickly and take care of it at a fair price.