If you’ve ever noticed any kind of a bad smell in your home that seems to get even worse whenever your air conditioning unit is running, chances are you may be wondering what could be causing those annoying odors. On a serious note, these types of smells can also end up being signs of dangerous health hazards, making it all the more important that the sources of the smells be tracked down as soon as possible.
Below are four reasons as to why you may have a smelly air conditioning unit in your home.
- If you notice any kind of a burning smell, chances are something likely is actually burning. In fact, your air conditioning unit could have an overheated motor, an issue with the internal wiring, or another type of mechanical problem that needs immediate attention before it becomes an even bigger problem. In any event, you should immediately turn the unit off via the breaker box. If you still notice the burning smell once you turn the unit off, leave your home immediately and contact your local fire department. Once you have been told that you can re-enter your home, contact a local and trusted HVAC technician to take a look at your air conditioning unit in order to determine that there are no further mechanical or electrical issues with it.
- In the event that you notice a smell similar to that of a rotten egg, do not ignore this. This kind of smell is a sign that there could be a gas leak. Typically, gas is odorless; however, air conditioning manufacturers are required to add a chemical compound known as mercaptan, which is designed to smell almost like that of a rotten egg. Another way you can tell if there is some kind of a gas leak is if you have outdoor shrubs or grass that have suddenly turned either a brown or orange color. Regardless, if this is a smell that you begin to notice, never operate anything electrical or use lighters or matches. Additionally, open doors and windows to allow fresh air to enter your home and turn off your gas supply via the meter. From there, leave your home and contact your local gas company to take care of the problem right away.
- If anyone lives in your home who smokes any kind of tobacco product, odors from these products are actually able to accumulate into both the air filter and evaporator coil. Whenever you turn on your air conditioning unit, you will, as a result, likely end up smelling stale tobacco smoke. The best way to counteract this is to change the air filter as soon as possible and schedule a regular cleaning and tune-up with a professional HVAC technician. Additionally, you could request that anyone who smokes move their activities outdoors rather than indoors to prevent the buildup of odors in the air filters.
- Smells that are similar to dirty feet or socks are signs that your air conditioning unit could have clogged condensate drain pans, stagnant water, and dirty evaporator coils. Yuck! The best and easiest way to help prevent this kind of smell from entering your home again is to schedule a regular professional cleaning for your air conditioning unit. Preemptive maintenance is always better than dirty sock smell!
Thank you for visiting the On the Go Heating and Cooling blog, a Las Cruces heating and cooling company. If your air conditioner smells in Las Cruces, contact us to get it fixed!