When your air conditioner is spotless and running right, it’s not normal to be smelling anything odd. Unexpected air conditioner noises and weird smells are a clue that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is aging or you haven’t had maintenance scheduled within the last year, they can be an obvious sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Sacramento.
Here are six of the most frequent air conditioner smells and how you can repair 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 could 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 suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can break out over time.
Four Hints You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
Aside from the odd smell, here are four other clues that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your residence comfortable or achieving your programmed temperature.
- High utility costs.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak needs skilled support from a heating and cooling company like Bishop’s HVAC. Your cooling professional will locate and fix the leak before recharging your air conditioner with refrigerant.
Resolving a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, based on 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 takes to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed earlier than 2010, there’s a good chance it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made due to its damaging effects on the ozone layer. As a consequence, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be best to do air conditioning installation in this circumstance.
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 warn you when there’s a leak, since the gas can be deadly in large amounts.
How You Can Solve It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home promptly.
- Calling your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Individuals who reach us about this issue frequently share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s on. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is often caused 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 typical in locations where you use heating at night and during the morning before switching to cooling later on.
How to Repair It
The best way to prevent dirty sock syndrome is to routinely replace your air filter and schedule annual air conditioning maintenance with Bishop’s HVAC. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, because stagnant water can also lead to noxious odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are living with air conditioner mildew smell or an acidic, vinegar-like odor, it can be the result of several problems, such as:
- A filthy filter
- Excess condensation
- Plugged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Resolve 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 smell, call Bishop’s HVAC at 916-591-6889.
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 include:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical issue.
Electrical issues should be examined quickly to stop a fire. If you notice burning plastic when your air conditioner is on, switch it off and call us at 916-591-6889 right away.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there might be mold growing inside your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold makes.
How to Repair It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why we recommend having a professional like Bishop’s HVAC look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Specialists Can Eliminate Odd Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be comfy in your residence and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are looking for relief from your stinky air conditioner, give us a call at 916-591-6889. We’ll figure out the trouble quickly and fix it at a reasonable.