When your air conditioner is clean and operating properly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything strange. Unusual air conditioner noises and odd smells are a hint that something is up. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had maintenance scheduled lately, they can be a clear sign you need professional air conditioning repair in McKinney and Frisco.
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 odor, it isn’t a good sign. You might also report 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 experiencing a refrigerant leak. Your system needs this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can wear out as time goes on.
Four clues you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
Besides the strange smell, here are four other clues that you have a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is operating.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your house cold or achieving your programmed temperature.
- Increasing energy bills.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak calls for experienced assistance from a heating and cooling company like Bell Mechanical Services. Your cooling technician will locate 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 put together by HomeAdvisor. Your total cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it needs to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, there’s a high probability it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being manufactured because of its adverse effects on the ozone layer. Consequently, 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 likely 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 fatal in big amounts.
How You Can Fix It
If you detect a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home promptly.
- Calling your gas company now.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
People who call us to report this problem frequently report their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s on. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is frequently caused by a grubby 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 climates where you use heating at night and during the morning before switching to cooling during the afternoon.
How to Repair It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to frequently replace your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with Bell Mechanical Services. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, as stagnant water can also result in unpleasant odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are living with air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it might be caused by several issues, including:
- A dirty filter
- Excess condensation
- Clogged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Solve It
Check 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 resolve the smell, contact Bell Mechanical Services at 888-863-0560.
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 several things wrong. These include:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical problem.
Electrical issues should be examined quickly to prevent a fire. If you notice burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, turn it off and reach us at 888-863-0560 right away.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there might be mold spreading inside your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold produces.
How to Repair It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why it’s important to have a professional like Bell Mechanical Services check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Pros Can Take Care of Odd Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly.
You deserve to be comfy in your house and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are looking for relief from your smelly air conditioner, contact us at 888-863-0560. We’ll figure out the trouble quickly and resolve it at a reasonable.