What to Do When Your Air Conditioner Stinks!

Here in Florida for most of the year, we don’t have much choice other than to run our AC units. It’s hot and muggy and too humid to keep the windows open. So what happens when you flip that switch and peeee-yewww! Ugh, what IS that stench!? Something simply stinks!

Let’s take a look at the most common things that could go wrong with an HVAC system to cause it to smell strange and how you can avoid or fix them.

1. It smells like old eggs – Sulfur and old eggs have the same odor. While our wells here in some areas of Florida can sometimes produce sulfur smell if you are sure it’s not your water, it could be a natural gas leak. If you use natural gas in your home as part of your HVAC system you may have a leak. Open the windows and leave immediately to call your HVAC company.

1. Electrical Smell – that burning hair dryer burning smell could very well be overheating wires. Turn off the unit immediately. Once the unit is off checked to see if the filter is dirty. If it is dirty to the point of restricting air flow it can overheat the unit. That is an easy fix, just replace with a fresh air filter. If it isn’t, you will need a professional tech as that burning smell is usually an issue in the motor wiring. A self-fix can result in injury. Do note that if your heater hasn’t been on for a very long time you could just be burning off collected dust and it will go away on its own given 10 – 20 minutes. If it continues contact your All Day Air HVAC tech.

1. Moldy Smell – This is the most common complaint. We live in such a humid tropical climate that condensation, if not drained properly, can escape into the ducts and cause mold build up. Breathing in mold is bad for all of us, but if you happen to have a mold allergy it can cause health issues beyond what you want to deal with. It can lead to respiratory infections, allergies, headaches and much more. Getting your ducts checked as well as your unit if your air smells musty or moldy is a great preventive check.

If your AC unit is smelling like anything other than fresh air it likely needs to have maintenance done. Give us a call at (239) 357-0727 or visit www.alldayaircooling.com.