When your air conditioner is fresh and running properly, it’s not normal to be smelling anything odd. Unusual air conditioner noises and odd smells are a sign that something is wrong. If your air conditioner is old or you haven’t had maintenance done lately, they can be an obvious sign you need skilled air conditioning repair in Long Island.
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, it isn’t a positive sign. You could also report your:
- Air conditioner smells like paint thinner
- Home air conditioner smells sweet
These sweet, chemical smells are regularly a clue that your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak. Your system uses this gas to shift heat through copper coils, which can break out as time passes.
Four Signs You Are Dealing with a Refrigerant Leak
Aside from the strange smell, here are four other clues that you are dealing with a refrigerant leak.
- Bubbling or hissing sounds when your air conditioner is cooling.
- Ice crystals on refrigerant lines or the evaporator coil.
- It’s hard keeping your residence cold or having your desired temperature.
- High electrical bills.
How You Can Repair It
A refrigerant leak needs professional repairs from a heating and cooling company like Airmax Long Island. Your cooling technician will locate and fix the leak before recharging your air conditioner with refrigerant.
Repairing a refrigerant leak often costs between $225 and $1,600, based on nationwide averages assembled by HomeAdvisor. Your total cost will depend on the location and severity of the leak, as well as how many hours it requires to repair.
If your air conditioner was installed earlier than 2010, there’s a high probability it uses R-22 or Freon refrigerant. This refrigerant is no longer being produced as a result of its adverse effects on the ozone layer. Consequently, repairs can be extremely expensive so it may be smartest to do air conditioning installation in this instance.
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 significant chance you have a natural gas leak in your home. Natural gas has a sulfur-like additive to signal you when there’s a leak, because the gas can be toxic in big amounts.
How You Can Solve It
If you detect a sulfur or rotten egg odor, we recommend:
- Turning off your gas supply.
- Opening windows.
- Evacuating your home as soon as possible.
- Calling your gas company without delay.
3. Air Conditioner Smells Musty
People who contact us about this issue usually share their air conditioner smells like feet, dirty socks or a locker room when it’s on. Also known as dirty sock syndrome, this smell is frequently caused by a filthy 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 common in climates where you use heating at night and during the morning before turning on cooling during the afternoon.
How to Solve It
The best approach for preventing dirty sock syndrome is to frequently replace your air filter and schedule regular air conditioning maintenance with Airmax Long Island. We’ll keep the evaporator coil clean and the drainage system flowing, because stagnant water can also produce noxious odors.
4. Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar
If you are living with air conditioner mildew smell or an acidic, vinegar-like odor, it could be prompted by several situations, like:
- A dirty filter
- Too much condensation
- Clogged condensate pan or drain line
- Moldy air conditioner or ductwork
How to Fix 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 solve the problem, call Airmax Long Island at 631-737-5566.
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 needs lubrication.
- Broken fan belt.
- Electrical issue.
Electrical problems should be inspected immediately to stop a fire. If you smell burning plastic when your air conditioner is running, shut it off and contact us at 631-737-5566 without delay.
6. Air Conditioner Smells Like Cat Pee
A strong ammonia odor means there could be mold growing in your air conditioner or ductwork. The smell isn’t the mold itself, but the mycotoxins that mold creates.
How to Solve It
Mycotoxins are hazardous to your health. That’s why you should have a professional like Airmax Long Island examine your air conditioner and ductwork and clean it when necessary.
Our Specialists Can Eliminate Unpleasant Air Conditioner Smells Quickly
You deserve to be comfortable in your house 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 631-737-5566. We’ll determine the issue quickly and fix it at a reasonable.