Many of us install air conditioners to help us feel comfortable in our homes. But when you start to experience unpleasant odors coming from your cooling system, it’s more than just bothersome. It can greatly influence your home comfort.
Where do the smells come from?
Focus on what the odor smells like. If the odor resembles a rotten egg, this could be an indication of a gas leak. If this is the case, you should open your windows, turn off the gas supply, evacuate the home and call the gas company. Allow the gas company turn it back on for you. It’s not something you want to mess around with.
If it doesn’t smell like rotten eggs, you have a different challenge.
Just like anything in your house, if your air conditioner isn’t cleaned correctly or taken care of, there’s a good chance that dirt and dust will gather. And because components of your air conditioner aren’t right in front of you, cleaning them can often go overlooked.
Buildup of mold, dirt and other particles is one of the most common sources of odors with air conditioners. It can occur with the coils, drain pain, air ducts or even your filter. Thankfully, routine maintenance can help prevent this buildup and reduce the probability that an unfriendly smell starts diffusing throughout your house.
Heat and moisture can contribute to increased mold growth, namely in warmer climates. Not only can mold and mildew develop a nasty smell, but it can also negatively impact the quality of air in your house.
It’s also possible that a tiny creature navigated into your duct system and died. You can turn off your air conditioner and either give our team or pest control a call to come and retrieve the animal.
What can I do?
Analyze your filter. This is a usual culprit for air conditioner odors. If it’s been a long time since you’ve swapped your air filter, go ahead and replace it with a brand new one. We typically recommend changing your filter every two to three months. But it’s also vital to keep in mind other factors that would require you to replace it more repeatedly, such as pets in the home or if a family member has allergies or asthma.
If you’ve switched the filter and it’s not making a difference, it’s probably time to contact a professional. Especially if it’s been an extended period of time since your last air conditioning checkup. The pros can assess the situation to see if a thorough cleaning can do the job. You may also want to consider having your air ducts cleaned. Professional duct cleaners can take a look to see if your indoor air quality would improve from a proper cleaning.
If you have concerns about the odors in your home, Enertek Air Conditioning & Heating can help you review the situation and chat about possible solutions. You should be able to enjoy your cool indoor space in the warmer summer months, without having to suffer with undesirable odors. You can arrange an appointment with our team online or give us a shout at (818) 727-9993.
