On a hot sunny day, imagine you are coming home from your office as soon as possible. After reaching your home, you quickly detached your shoes and separated your tie from your throat.
And then, to survive the heat, you will turn on your AC, hoping that its air will satisfy you. But you realize a problematic odor is coming to the air conditioner that might be harmful to health and children.
So, here we’ll figure out Why does my air conditioner smells bad? all possible reasons…
Let’s look at some of the potential odors that AC owners can experience and find out the causes of their occurrence and their solutions.
Why Does My Air Conditioner Smells Bad?
This is a common problem with these types of devices. There are many reasons why they may have an unpleasant odor.Â
Here are a few basic facts about the smell coming from the air conditioner that may happen to you.
When your air conditioner smells bad, it could be a sign that something is wrong, but a foul odor in your home can also be a serious health risk.
There are a few different smells that your air conditioner might produce, and each one has a different possible cause.
1. Exhaust Fumes
Anyway, your air conditioning engine and other parts contain liquids that can leak out, causing these exhaust fumes to smell.
You should turn off your AC. Working with liquid chemical leaks can be dangerous. Contact the nearest HVAC repair team as soon as possible to resolve this issue.
2. Mold or Musty Smells
Moldy and musty smells are two common problems with air conditioners. A variety of things can cause these smells.
Excess moisture in your room, this reason, it can accumulate moisture in your system and help in the growth of germs.
You can clean your air filter or replace it if necessary. Also, clean the coils and evaporate the pan with a solution of bleach and water (1 cup of bleach per gallon of water).
Ensure the area around the air conditioner is free of dirt and dust. If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to call a professional for help.
3. Rotten Egg Smell
There are two reasons why your air conditioner smells like rotten eggs. One possibility is that the sulfur smell is due to a gas leak.
Although the gas is odorless, manufacturers add fragrances to warn people of dangerous leaks. So the smell of gas is a problem.
Another possibility is that lizards, critters, and rodents enter your air conditioning ventilation pipe in winter and get stuck in it.
Over time, they die and create an unpleasant odor. In summer, when you turn on your AC, it’s spread everywhere.
If there is a smell of rotten eggs ( sulfur ), you are in danger. As soon as possible, you need to turn off your electric operating devices, turn off the gas supply immediately, and open windows as much as possible.
4. Gunpowder Smell
Gunpowder scents are essentially an electric smell. This can happen when the motor of the AC fan is fired or creates a circuit on the board.
Another common cause of this type of air conditioner odor is dust accumulation in your unit due to prolonged inactivity.
If turned on after a long time, this dust can burn and give off a foul odor. This is only temporary, and there is nothing to worry about.
So, if you can detect the smell coming from a fired motor or circuit board. Then call an electrician or professional to repair it.
5. SKUNK
When your air conditioner smells like skunk, it can be an unpleasant experience. The methyl mercaptan smell can be strong and irresistible and make it difficult to concentrate or enjoy yourself. This can happen due to a gas leak in your air conditioning duct.
This dangerous gas could put your family at risk, so we recommend evacuating your home. Open doors and windows as much as you can. Call a nearby professional to help you.
6. Burning or Electrical Odors
When an air conditioner smells like it’s burning or there is an electrical odor, it’s important to investigate the source of the smell as soon as possible.
The smell could signify a more serious problem that needs to be addressed. Some common causes of a burning smell or electrical odor from an air conditioner because of burning dust.
Yeah, it can happen when the air conditioning has been down for a long time. Don’t worry; after 20 to 30 minutes, the odor may spread and disappear.
If it continues, that would be a burnt-out motor, a problem with the wiring, or damaged wires that are sparking.
You should turn off your air conditioner and call an HVAC technician to solve it.
7. Air Conditioner Smell Like Chlorine
If you notice a bad smell coming from your air conditioner, it could be because of chlorine. The chemical odor you get may come from your electrostatic air filter.
Electrostatic air filters produce ozone, and ozone can smell like chlorine. Unhealthy ozone levels at home can create a pungent odor, and you may notice symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
Clean or replace your electrostatic air filter to get rid of the chemical or ozone smell. If the odor remains, call an experienced technician to solve it.
8. Air Conditioner Smells Like Paint Thinner
You smell something nice, but you did not add any essential oil to your air filter or bring any room freshener. That smell you are enjoying is most probably paint thinner.
Although the paint thinner does not evaporate as fast as gasoline, paint thinner is not dangerous.
However, keep in mind that thin vapors of paint, despite their fairly pleasant odor, can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat and can cause dizziness or nausea if the vapors are inhaled in sufficiently high doses. It happens because there is a leak in the air filters.
Covering Smells is a Bad Idea
It’s always a bad idea to cover up smells. If something smells bad, there’s probably something wrong, and you should address the problem.
Trying to cover up the smell with air fresheners or other scents can worsen the problem since it can mask the issue and make it harder to identify and fix.
Plus, it’s not pleasant to have a room that smells like a mixture of different smells. If your air conditioner is smelling bad, the first step is to figure out why.
Once you know the cause, you can take steps to fix the problem and get rid of the bad smell. Common causes of bad smells from air conditioners include mold, mildew, and bacteria.
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These can all be addressed with proper cleaning and maintenance. If you’re not sure what the cause is, you can always contact a professional to come and take a look.
No one wants to deal with a smelly air conditioner, so it’s important to take care of the problem as soon as you notice it. Ignoring it will only worsen the issue, so don’t wait to fix the problem.
The sooner you do, the better off you’ll be. Thanks for reading!