When your air conditioner is fresh and operating properly, you shouldn’t be smelling anything weird. Unexpected air conditioner noises and strange smells are a clue that something is up. If your air conditioner is past its prime or you haven’t had service completed recently, they can be a sure sign you need professional air conditioning repair in Naples.
Here are six of the top 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 could also observe your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical scents are frequently a sign that your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. Your system relies on this gas to move heat through copper coils, which can wear out as time passes.
4 Clues You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
In addition to the strange smell, here are four other hints that you are experiencing a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Frost on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- Trouble keeping your home cool or achieving your set temperature.
- High electrical bills.
How You Can Fix It
A refrigerant leak calls for skilled repairs from a heating and cooling company like CNR Air Conditioning Inc. Your cooling specialist will pinpoint and fix the leak before recharging your system with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, per nationwide averages assembled by HomeAdvisor. Your exact cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it takes to fix.
If your air conditioner was installed early than 2010, there’s a good chance it has R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being made because of its adverse effects on the ozone layer. As a consequence, repairs can be significantly expensive so it may be smartest 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 significant chance you have a natural gas leak in your house. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, as the gas can be toxic in big amounts.
How You Can Fix It
If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Switching off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Leaving your home right away.
- Getting in touch with your gas company immediately.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
Homeowners who contact us to report this situation often share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s running. Also called dirty sock syndrome, this smell is typically 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 typical in areas where you use heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling during the afternoon.
How to Fix It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to regularly replace your air filter and schedule annual air conditioning maintenance with CNR Air Conditioning Inc. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system unblocked, as standing water can also lead to unpleasant 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 prompted by several issues, including:
- A dirty filter
- Excess condensation
- Blocked condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Repair It
Inspect 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 fix the smell, contact CNR Air Conditioning Inc at 239-241-5318.
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 a number of things wrong. These entail:
- Broken capacitator that’s overheating the motor.
- Motor that requires lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical trouble.
Electrical issues should be checked quickly to stop a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is operating, turn it off and call us at 239-241-5318 immediately.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A powerful ammonia odor means there might be mold flourishing in your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold produces.
How to Fix It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why you should have a professional like CNR Air Conditioning Inc check your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when needed.
Our Professionals Can Eliminate Odd Air Conditioner Smells Fast
You deserve to be comfortable in your residence and shouldn’t have an air conditioner that smells bad. When you are seeking relief from your stinky air conditioner, reach us at 239-241-5318. We’ll determine the trouble quickly and take care of it at a competitive.