Be on alert for these common odors: Dirty Sock Smell. Everyone has experienced that musty smell in the house when you first turn on the A/C after hibernation. Any one of those parts could be faulty from the blower motor to the wiring, or some other mechanical issue. Possible reasons why your air conditioner smells bad: 1. In most units, the heat exchanger kills the organic material, but those with heat pumps do not reach those temperatures. It can be alarming if you follow your nose only to realize the scent is coming from your air conditioning or HVAC system. Depending on the source, it can cause an asthma attack, allergies, respiratory problems such as a cough and infections, skin irritation, dizziness, sore throat, red and painful eyes, etc. This is one of worst problems you can have, and we’re tackling it head on. This Is the Seriously Disgusting Reason Your Air Conditioner Smells Bad Lauren Cahn Updated: Feb. 12, 2018 That funky odor in your home or office may actually be coming from your air conditioner. The evaporator coils can usually be accessed by removing the top of the unit, or sometimes by removing the entire outer casing. Why Does My Air Conditioner Smell Bad When Turned On? What Makes An Conditioner Smell Bad. Electrical problems need to be investigated by a professional immediately upon discovery. “Why does my home air conditioner smell bad?” It’s a question HVAC experts get often. Air conditioners are made up of many distinct parts, some of which may fail from time to time. 2. Most often the smell of stinky feet coming from your unit is caused by clogs or dirt build-up. An overheated system often causes a “burning” smell and can even cause strange noises. Mold or bacteria growing in the evaporator coil can also result in a bad-smelling air conditioner. And many homeowners also use that space to store other supplies, such as paint or household cleaners. These smells usually come from every duct in your house and you can't escape it. A “sniff test” can tell you a lot about what’s going on! And this degrades the quality of the air, making it uncomfortable for you. Clear any drainage lines that may be blocked. Smells Like: Mildew. Does it mean that the air conditioner needs to be repaired or replaced? As air circulates throughout your home, many airborne contaminants have the opportunity to settle within the system; even when your air conditioner is idle over the winter, dust and dirt can collect. Some moisture in your air conditioner is common, but excessive moisture is a problem. In most Florida homes, the indoor air handler (the part of the AC that blows air through your home) is located either in an interior closet, attic, or basement. Watch the video to learn more. Air conditioners can sometimes smell bad. An air conditioner works by absorbing the heat and humidity from inside your home. Don’t take this lightly. A common cause of bad odors is from dirty filters. Sort of a musty smell. Leading AC manufacturers are of the opinion that foul smell emissions can also occur if your air-conditioning unit is not being used properly. Mold or bacteria growing in the evaporator coil can result in a bad-smelling air conditioner. Is that just accumulated dust blowing around? Foul smells in your air conditioner can be caused by several things. If you’re one to run your air conditioner pretty much year round, here’s a tip. It then removes the moisture, which goes into … Are any of these air conditioner smells harmful? Reasons for Why your Air Conditioner Smells bad – Speedy fix: As we discussed earlier, the bad smell from an Air Conditioner includes several types of Odours which help in finding the problem in AC. To eliminate this bad air conditioner smell, you will need to call a certified technician to sanitize the evaporator coil and other compartments of your air conditioning system. This smell is caused by dust in your evaporator coil that makes a good start for mild and … Because we obviously aren’t in your home to diagnose the problem, we’ll show you how to identify the problem you’re dealing with and what you can do to get rid of the smell. While slight air conditioner smells are normal, a strong and persistent odor signals trouble with your air conditioning system. Don’t let AC bad smells negatively impact your home’s air quality. Provided there aren’t any rotten eggs in your home, the air conditioner smells of rotten eggs or sulfur most likely indicates a natural gas leak. If your air conditioner smells like it’s burning, the chances are it probably is. Your air conditioner is a machine and has a ton of moving parts. Sprays are available from appliance parts stores for air conditioner coils that will kill mould and bacteria and prevent smells from developing. So, here’s our guide on the most common culprits for bad air conditioner smells and how to get rid of them. One that has a musty odor. The smell can be accompanied by a "short of breath" feeling and headaches. Bad smells coming from the air conditioning system in your home are no fun. Running the AC on ‘Low’ constantly can be damaging for the indoor air quality for instance. 1. Air Conditioner Smells and What They Mean. Why Does Your Air Conditioner Stink? Take a moment to analyze the odor coming out of your system or vents. The only thing worse than an HVAC system that stops working in the middle of a hot day? Causes of Air Conditioning Smells. Why air conditioner smells bad? One possible reason is mold on your ac vents. Stinky Feet Smell... aka Dirty Sock Syndrome . It’s too big for your home: Everyone knows that an air conditioner is used to cool your home, but many people don’t realize that it also performs a second function: dehumidification. Most likely, organic material has not been heated to a high enough temperature to prevent its growth. Extra Large Air Conditioner. This odor will penetrate the coil and cause the smell of cigarettes to be pushed into your home each time you use the air conditioner. The problem: Open containers of chemicals near the indoor air handler. If your home smells like mold and mildew, you could have a clogged condensate line. Smell around your home and see if any of the descriptions below match up with your situation: 1. When dirt and bacteria build up in your car’s air conditioning system, it can cause a musty smell to waft from your car’s vents. If your air conditioner smells bad or you suspect you may have Dirty Sock Syndrome, schedule an appointment with Coolray. Although on its own, natural gas is odorless, most utility providers add the aroma to alert people of a dangerous leak. While removing heat from your home’s air, your unit removes a bit of moisture from the air as well. This can really mess up your day. There are solutions for that. Or a burning smell? To address these issues and return the freshness to your home’s air, you need the help of Phoenix Arizona air conditioner repair technicians. The evaporator coils can usually be accessed by removing the top of the unit. Bad odor coming from your air conditioner is not just unpleasant, but it can also be a serious threat to your health and the health of your family members. Air conditioners can sometimes blow smelly air. What about a rotten egg smell? While some odors are nothing to worry about, others can be quite serious. Getting to the Source of the Stink . In most cases, air conditioner smells are caused by mold and mildew growing somewhere within the system. The common issues can be easily identified by unique smells that make requesting servicing an easier task. Summer is finally here, and that means you and your family are going to be using the air conditioning A LOT more often. just a warning clorox is corrosive to metal and copper in your ac. If you use scented candles, aerosol sprays, and air-fresheners to try and mask or hide smells coming from your HVAC system, this will only worsen the overall air quality in your home. Experienced, knowledgeable air conditioner professionals will be able to detect the cause of your system’s gross smell and take care of it as quickly as possible. Foul smells from air conditioners are most often caused by dirt, mold and bacteria that build up within the unit. Once you’ve done that, turn the car on and the AC to max power. The odor does not necessarily have to appear due to an external factor but may be due to bad installation or a problem in it. My car air conditioner smells terrible. When your home’s air conditioning unit smells bad, the drip pan and condensate drain line need to be inspected as clogs can develop and block the removal of moisture from the air conditioner. From my experience, it is mostly odor coming out from the air conditioning vents. If you smell either of those smells from your AC contact us for a check-up, save time and money book online and get a Heating or AC Maintenance Check-up coupon only pay 29.95! Make sure to schedule your air conditioning tune up each year. If the air conditioner maintenance is not done for a long time, the accumulation of these dusts in the air conditioner reflects into the vehicle as a bad smell after a while. Overheating . Here is an example: Keep reading and learn how to get rid of that stink from your AC. If your air conditioner smells bad this season, this is a cause for concern. To eliminate odor from a car air conditioner, sit in the car, but make sure the car, AC, and fan are all turned off. Get a maintenance service every now and then, just to check that everything is running as it should. If your car ac smells bad, it may be down to the air filter needing to be changed, a build-up of debris or mold. If you have done these things and are still suffering from moldy, noxious smells when your air conditioner kicks on, then it might be time to call your local HVAC contractor. Now, a bad odor does not immediately mean a huge repair bill. Why Its A Bad Idea To Cover Up Smells. This is because dehumidification will not be carried out to the right levels here also, resulting in mold growths and obnoxious odors thereafter. Appliance parts stores sell sprays that will kill mold and bacteria and prevent smells from developing. My Air Conditioner Smells Bad. Follow the guide above to determine the problem and follow the relevant advice to get it sorted. I am here to the ball you about the research I have made to get rid of bad smell from AC. Identifying the bad smell is the first step to figuring out the underlying problem. When you notice a burning smell from your cooling system, shut it off at the home’s electrical panel immediately. i forgot to mention in the video. If your home air conditioner smells terrible when turned on, you need to determine what type of smell you are dealing with. Contaminants within your system paired with the cool, damp conditions within can … Although this smell may be coming from the air conditioning unit, it is not actually the unit that is the problem. So, without any delay let’s get into the details. If your home’s air conditioning system is experiencing any of these smells, contact the cooling experts at B&W, Indianapolis and Central Indiana’s most trusted HVAC company. Together with the bad odor, it can give the air it gives into the vehicle as dusty. A precision air conditioner tune-up can correct some of these issues and increase your system’s overall efficiency. 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