When your air conditioner is spotless and working correctly, it’s not normal to be smelling anything odd. Peculiar air conditioner noises and weird smells are a hint that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had a tune-up completed lately, they can be an obvious sign you need pro air conditioning repair in Albuquerque.
Here are six of the most common 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, particularly a chemical scent, 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 typically a sign that your air conditioner is experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system uses this gas to transfer heat through copper coils, which can break out over time.
4 Hints You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the odd smell, here are four other hints that you are experiencing a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your home cold or having your set temperature.
- Higher energy costs.
How You Can Take Care of It
A refrigerant leak calls for experienced assistance from a heating and cooling company like I-Deal HVAC. Your cooling technician will find and mend the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak usually costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages assembled by HomeAdvisor. Your exact cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it takes to repair.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it’s likely it runs on R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being produced because of its negative effects on the ozone layer. As a result, repairs can be extremely expensive so it may be wisest 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 good probability you have a natural gas leak in your house. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to warn you when there’s a leak, as the gas can be deadly in heavy concentrations.
How You Can Solve It
If you notice a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we suggest:
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Going outside as soon as possible.
- Getting in touch with your gas company without delay.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who reach us regarding this situation frequently share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it runs. Also called 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 turning on cooling during the afternoon.
How to Fix It
The best method for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to frequently change your air filter and schedule annual air conditioning maintenance with I-Deal HVAC. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, as excess water can also result in 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 caused by several problems, like:
- A filthy filter
- Excess 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 solve the issue, contact I-Deal HVAC at 505-445-1250.
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 should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical issue.
Electrical malfunctions should be checked right away to avoid a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is on, switch it off and contact us at 505-445-1250 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
An overpowering ammonia odor means there might be mold growing 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 specialist like I-Deal HVAC check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Pros Can Take Care of Odd Air Conditioner Smells Fast
You deserve to be cozy in your home and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your stinky air conditioner, give us a call at 505-445-1250. We’ll determine the problem quickly and take care of it at a fair price.