When your air conditioner is clean and operating properly, it’s not normal to be smelling anything strange. Peculiar air conditioner noises and strange smells are a clue that something is out of whack. If your air conditioner is aging or you haven’t had maintenance done recently, they can be a sure sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Libertyville.
Here are six of the most common air conditioner smells and how you can solve them.
1. Central Air Conditioner Smells Like Chemicals
If your air conditioner smells bad when turned on, particularly a chemical odor, it isn’t a good sign. You may also notice your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical smells are frequently 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 goes on.
Four Clues You Have a Refrigerant Leak
Besides the weird smell, here are four other signs that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your house cold or having your programmed temperature.
- Increasing energy costs.
How You Can Repair It
A refrigerant leak requires professional support from a heating and cooling company like TopTec. Your cooling pro will pinpoint and repair the leak before recharging your air conditioner with refrigerant.
Fixing a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, per nationwide averages compiled by HomeAdvisor. Your total cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how much time it takes to repair.
If your air conditioner was installed prior to 2010, there’s a good chance it uses R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being manufactured due to its adverse effects on the ozone layer. As a consequence, repairs can be extremely 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 probably nothing wrong with it. But there’s a high probability you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to alert you when there’s a leak, because the gas can be toxic in heavy concentrations.
How You Can Solve It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home right away.
- Calling your gas company now.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who reach us about this issue usually 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 linked to a dirty evaporator coil that has mold, mildew and bacteria buildup. Excess water can also make your home air conditioner smell bad. Dirty sock syndrome is most often seen in areas where you turn on heating at night and during the morning before switching to cooling later on.
How to Fix It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to frequently change your air filter and schedule yearly air conditioning maintenance with TopTec. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, since stagnant water can also create noxious odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are dealing with air conditioner mildew smell or a pungent, vinegar-like odor, it could be prompted by several problems, such as:
- A dirty filter
- Excess condensation
- Plugged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Repair It
Check your filter first. If you haven’t replaced it within the last three months and can’t see light through it, you should replace it. If that doesn’t solve the smell, contact TopTec at 847-362-0262.
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 couple of things wrong. These entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical malfunctions.
Electrical problems should be inspected quickly to prevent a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, turn it off and contact us at 847-362-0262 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
An overpowering ammonia odor means there might be mold present within your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold creates.
How to Repair It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why you should have a professional like TopTec examine your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when needed.
Our Professionals Can Eliminate Unpleasant Air Conditioner Smells Rapidly
You deserve to be cozy in your home 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 847-362-0262. We’ll determine the issue quickly and resolve it at a competitive.