When your air conditioner is clean and running correctly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything weird. Unusual air conditioner noises and strange smells are a clue that something is off. If your air conditioner is aging or you haven’t had service completed lately, they can be a sure sign you need pro air conditioning repair in the Rio Grande Valley.
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, specifically a chemical odor, isn’t a great sign. You may also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are typically a hint that your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak. Your system needs this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can break out as time passes.
4 Hints You Have a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the weird smell, here are four other signs that you are experiencing a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner runs.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your residence cool or reaching your desired temperature.
- Higher energy bills.
How You Can Repair It
A refrigerant leak calls for professional support from a heating and cooling company like Cytech Heating & Cooling L.C.. Your cooling specialist will locate and mend the leak before recharging your AC with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak often 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 long it requires to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed early than 2010, it’s likely it uses R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being produced due to its harmful effects on the ozone layer. As a consequence, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be best to schedule air conditioning installation in this instance.
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 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 Fix It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we advise:
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home right away.
- Call your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Individuals who call us regarding this situation frequently say their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it runs. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is typically caused by a filthy evaporator coil that has mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. Moisture can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most typical in climates where you turn on heating at night and during the morning before transitioning to cooling later on.
How to Fix It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely replace your air filter and schedule regular air conditioning maintenance with Cytech Heating & Cooling L.C.. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unclogged, as stagnant water can also produce nasty odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are experiencing air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it can be prompted by several issues, like:
- A dirty filter
- Excess condensation
- Plugged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Repair It
Inspect your filter first. If you haven’t changed it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, you should replace it. If that doesn’t fix the smell, call Cytech Heating & Cooling L.C. at 956-630-3522.
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 several things wrong. These entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that should have lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical issue.
Electrical problems should be checked quickly to stop a fire. If you detect burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, shut it off and reach us at 956-630-3522 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A powerful 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 creates.
How to Fix It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why it’s important to have a professional like Cytech Heating & Cooling L.C. look at your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when needed.
Our Professionals Can Eliminate Strange Air Conditioner Smells Fast
You deserve to be comfy in your home and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are seeking relief from your noxious air conditioner, give us a call at 956-630-3522. We’ll diagnose the trouble quickly and fix it at a fair price.