The odor does not necessarily have to appear due to an external factor but may be due to bad installation or a problem in it. Air conditioners are made up of many distinct parts, some of which may fail from time to time. This odor will penetrate the coil and cause the smell of cigarettes to be pushed into your home each time you use the air conditioner. And many homeowners also use that space to store other supplies, such as paint or household cleaners. Smell around your home and see if any of the descriptions below match up with your situation: 1. Why Does My Air Conditioner Smell Bad When Turned On? When dirt and bacteria build up in your car’s air conditioning system, it can cause a musty smell to waft from your car’s vents. Mold and Mildew. The evaporator coils can usually be accessed by removing the top of the unit. Some moisture in your air conditioner is common, but excessive moisture is a problem. If your air conditioner smells like it’s burning, the chances are it probably is. Together with the bad odor, it can give the air it gives into the vehicle as dusty. And this degrades the quality of the air, making it uncomfortable for you. When you notice a burning smell from your cooling system, shut it off at the home’s electrical panel immediately. If your car ac smells bad, it may be down to the air filter needing to be changed, a build-up of debris or mold. If your home air conditioner smells terrible when turned on, you need to determine what type of smell you are dealing with. An air conditioner works by absorbing the heat and humidity from inside your home. Spray a disinfectant spray into every vent, including the vents on the dashboard, near your feet, and in the backseat. My Air Conditioner Smells Bad. The evaporator coils can usually be accessed by removing the top of the unit, or sometimes by removing the entire outer casing. Leading AC manufacturers are of the opinion that foul smell emissions can also occur if your air-conditioning unit is not being used properly. Mold or bacteria growing in the evaporator coil can result in a bad-smelling air conditioner. If the air conditioner maintenance is not done for a long time, the accumulation of these dusts in the air conditioner reflects into the vehicle as a bad smell after a while. Air Conditioner Smells and What They Mean. While removing heat from your home’s air, your unit removes a bit of moisture from the air as well. Be on alert for these common odors: Dirty Sock Smell. Everyone has experienced that musty smell in the house when you first turn on the A/C after hibernation. What about a rotten egg smell? Follow the guide above to determine the problem and follow the relevant advice to get it sorted. Because we obviously aren’t in your home to diagnose the problem, we’ll show you how to identify the problem you’re dealing with and what you can do to get rid of the smell. When your home’s air conditioning unit smells bad, the drip pan and condensate drain line need to be inspected as clogs can develop and block the removal of moisture from the air conditioner. Bad smells coming from the air conditioning system in your home are no fun. The problem: Open containers of chemicals near the indoor air handler. Electrical problems need to be investigated by a professional immediately upon discovery. If this is happening to you, don’t ignore it! If your home’s air conditioning system is experiencing any of these smells, contact the cooling experts at B&W, Indianapolis and Central Indiana’s most trusted HVAC company. Read on to learn the most common reasons your air conditioner smells bad when turned on and what you can do about it. Air conditioners can sometimes smell bad. Don’t take this lightly. Burning Odor. So, without any delay let’s get into the details. From my experience, it is mostly odor coming out from the air conditioning vents. While slight air conditioner smells are normal, a strong and persistent odor signals trouble with your air conditioning system. Although on its own, natural gas is odorless, most utility providers add the aroma to alert people of a dangerous leak. 1. Clear any drainage lines that may be blocked. Mold or bacteria growing in the evaporator coil can also result in a bad-smelling air conditioner. Are any of these air conditioner smells harmful? Get a maintenance service every now and then, just to check that everything is running as it should. As air circulates throughout your home, many airborne contaminants have the opportunity to settle within the system; even when your air conditioner is idle over the winter, dust and dirt can collect. If your air conditioner smells bad this season, this is a cause for concern. Make sure to schedule your air conditioning tune up each year. What Makes An Conditioner Smell Bad. Possible reasons why your air conditioner smells bad: 1. Getting to the Source of the Stink . Don’t let AC bad smells negatively impact your home’s air quality. In most units, the heat exchanger kills the organic material, but those with heat pumps do not reach those temperatures. This Is the Seriously Disgusting Reason Your Air Conditioner Smells Bad Lauren Cahn Updated: Feb. 12, 2018 That funky odor in your home or office may actually be coming from your air conditioner. Is that just accumulated dust blowing around? Stinky Feet Smell... aka Dirty Sock Syndrome . Running the AC on ‘Low’ constantly can be damaging for the indoor air quality for instance. Now, a bad odor does not immediately mean a huge repair bill. Watch the video to learn more. The smell can be accompanied by a "short of breath" feeling and headaches. Most often the smell of stinky feet coming from your unit is caused by clogs or dirt build-up. Depending on the source, it can cause an asthma attack, allergies, respiratory problems such as a cough and infections, skin irritation, dizziness, sore throat, red and painful eyes, etc. So, here’s our guide on the most common culprits for bad air conditioner smells and how to get rid of them. Sprays are available from appliance parts stores for air conditioner coils that will kill mould and bacteria and prevent smells from developing. When something goes awry, it can cause different odors to come from the AC vents in your home. The only thing worse than an HVAC system that stops working in the middle of a hot day? While some odors are nothing to worry about, others can be quite serious. There are solutions for that. In most cases, air conditioner smells are caused by mold and mildew growing somewhere within the system. One that has a musty odor. Extra Large Air Conditioner. Air conditioners can sometimes blow smelly air. Bad odor coming from your air conditioner is not just unpleasant, but it can also be a serious threat to your health and the health of your family members. To eliminate odor from a car air conditioner, sit in the car, but make sure the car, AC, and fan are all turned off. This is because dehumidification will not be carried out to the right levels here also, resulting in mold growths and obnoxious odors thereafter. Any one of those parts could be faulty from the blower motor to the wiring, or some other mechanical issue. Identifying the bad smell is the first step to figuring out the underlying problem. One possible reason is mold on your ac vents. If you’re one to run your air conditioner pretty much year round, here’s a tip. Causes of Air Conditioning Smells. If your air conditioner smells bad or you suspect you may have Dirty Sock Syndrome, schedule an appointment with Coolray. Air conditioners that have a capacity too high for the home contribute to mold and mildew development. My car air conditioner smells terrible. If you use scented candles, aerosol sprays, and air-fresheners to try and mask or hide smells coming from your HVAC system, this will only worsen the overall air quality in your home. An overheated system often causes a “burning” smell and can even cause strange noises. A precision air conditioner tune-up can correct some of these issues and increase your system’s overall efficiency. Experienced, knowledgeable air conditioner professionals will be able to detect the cause of your system’s gross smell and take care of it as quickly as possible. Or a burning smell? These smells usually come from every duct in your house and you can't escape it. Summer is finally here, and that means you and your family are going to be using the air conditioning A LOT more often. If you notice air conditioning smells that remind you of something burning or on fire, there may actually be electrical components within the system burning. If your home smells like mold and mildew, you could have a clogged condensate line. “Why does my home air conditioner smell bad?” It’s a question HVAC experts get often. This is one of worst problems you can have, and we’re tackling it head on. Contaminants within your system paired with the cool, damp conditions within can … Once you’ve done that, turn the car on and the AC to max power. Take a moment to analyze the odor coming out of your system or vents. just a warning clorox is corrosive to metal and copper in your ac. It can be alarming if you follow your nose only to realize the scent is coming from your air conditioning or HVAC system. Commonly called dirty sock syndrome, these AC odors can have many causes. Why Does Your Air Conditioner Stink? To eliminate this bad air conditioner smell, you will need to call a certified technician to sanitize the evaporator coil and other compartments of your air conditioning system. To address these issues and return the freshness to your home’s air, you need the help of Phoenix Arizona air conditioner repair technicians. The common issues can be easily identified by unique smells that make requesting servicing an easier task. Although this smell may be coming from the air conditioning unit, it is not actually the unit that is the problem. Does it mean that the air conditioner needs to be repaired or replaced? Here is an example: Keep reading and learn how to get rid of that stink from your AC. 2. vinegar is a better alternative. This smell is caused by dust in your evaporator coil that makes a good start for mild and … Most likely, organic material has not been heated to a high enough temperature to prevent its growth. Your air conditioner is a machine and has a ton of moving parts. It’s too big for your home: Everyone knows that an air conditioner is used to cool your home, but many people don’t realize that it also performs a second function: dehumidification. Overheating . Why air conditioner smells bad? Sort of a musty smell. Foul smells in your air conditioner can be caused by several things. I am here to the ball you about the research I have made to get rid of bad smell from AC. A common cause of bad odors is from dirty filters. Appliance parts stores sell sprays that will kill mold and bacteria and prevent smells from developing. Bad Smells Coming From Your Air Conditioner. Why Its A Bad Idea To Cover Up Smells. Provided there aren’t any rotten eggs in your home, the air conditioner smells of rotten eggs or sulfur most likely indicates a natural gas leak. If you smell either of those smells from your AC contact us for a check-up, save time and money book online and get a Heating or AC Maintenance Check-up coupon only pay 29.95! A “sniff test” can tell you a lot about what’s going on! This can really mess up your day. Reasons for Why your Air Conditioner Smells bad – Speedy fix: As we discussed earlier, the bad smell from an Air Conditioner includes several types of Odours which help in finding the problem in AC. It then removes the moisture, which goes into … i forgot to mention in the video. Smells Like: Mildew. If you have done these things and are still suffering from moldy, noxious smells when your air conditioner kicks on, then it might be time to call your local HVAC contractor. Foul smells from air conditioners are most often caused by dirt, mold and bacteria that build up within the unit. In most Florida homes, the indoor air handler (the part of the AC that blows air through your home) is located either in an interior closet, attic, or basement.