When your air conditioner is fresh and operating right, it’s not normal to be smelling anything odd. Peculiar air conditioner noises and odd smells are a hint that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is past its prime or you haven’t had service completed within the last year, they can be a clear sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Lincoln.
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, specifically a chemical odor, isn’t a great sign. You might also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are frequently a clue that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to shift heat through copper coils, which can wear out as time passes.
4 Signs You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the weird smell, here are four other hints that you have a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is operating.
- Ice on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your residence cool or having your desired temperature.
- Increasing electrical bills.
How You Can Take Care of It
A refrigerant leak needs skilled assistance from a heating and cooling company like AW Heating & Air Conditioning. Your cooling technician will pinpoint and repair the leak before recharging your air conditioner with refrigerant.
Fixing a refrigerant leak usually costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages compiled by HomeAdvisor. Your total cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it requires to solve.
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it’s likely it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being manufactured because of its adverse effects on the ozone layer. Due to this, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be smartest to schedule 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 home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to warn you when there’s a leak, because the gas can be fatal in heavy concentrations.
How You Can Fix It
If you notice a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Shutting off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home right away.
- Getting in touch with your gas company without delay.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Individuals who reach us to report this issue frequently say 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 linked to a grubby evaporator coil that has mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. Moisture can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most often seen in locations where you use heating at night and during the morning before switching to cooling later on.
How to Repair It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to routinely change your air filter and schedule routine air conditioning maintenance with AW Heating & Air Conditioning. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system flowing, as excess water can also lead to unpleasant odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are dealing with air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it might be the result of several problems, such as:
- A filthy filter
- Too much condensation
- Blocked condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Solve 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 resolve the issue, call AW Heating & Air Conditioning at 402-438-7992.
5. Air Conditioner Smells Like Burning Plastic
If you’re dealing with an air conditioner burning smell or that your air conditioner smells like fish, there could be a number of things wrong. These entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical problem.
Electrical malfunctions should be checked right away to avoid a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, shut it off and contact us at 402-438-7992 without delay.
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 produces.
How to Solve It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why you should have a specialist like AW Heating & Air Conditioning check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Pros Can Eliminate Odd Air Conditioner Smells Quickly
You deserve to be comfy in your home and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you need relief from your noxious air conditioner, contact us at 402-438-7992. We’ll diagnose the trouble quickly and take care of it at a reasonable.