AC Repair Company Breaks Down The Most Common Reasons Why Your Central AC Smells Bad | Arlington, TX

AC Repair Company Breaks Down The Most Common Reasons Why Your Central AC Smells Bad | Arlington, TX

Imagine walking home after a long, hot, or humid day in Arlington, TX, only to smell something awful after turning on your air conditioner. What’s irritating is that you can’t turn off your AC because the heat is unbearable. You have no option but to use an air freshener to fight the unpleasant smell.

If a strange odor comes out of your reason, there could be various underlying issues depending on the type of smell. Your house may reek musty, stale cigarette smoke, or rotten egg odor. If you smell any of these, it is high time you contact an AC repair company to diagnose the problem.

The foul smell from your AC affects your indoor quality and could cause serious health hazards. If it’s not checked and fixed right away, it could break your bank account in the long run. This blog will cover some common reasons you may have that unpleasant stench from your air conditioner.

Mold and Mildew

One of the common causes of awful-smelling AC units is mold and mildew. Mold has a distinct stink of dirty socks, and your AC provides a damp and warm environment where this fungus thrives.

Mold and mildew can grow on any surface of your AC unit, but you will find them mainly on the evaporator coils. This is because evaporator coils are exposed to moisture, which provides ideal conditions for mold and mildew to form.

If you suspect that the bad smell from your AC unit is caused by mold or decay, you should contact an AC repair company in Arlington, TX, to have the unit professionally cleaned. If mold is not taken care of quickly, it can spread and contaminate your air supply. In addition to awful smells, mold and mildew can cause serious health problems such as allergies, asthma, and respiratory infections.

Dust and Dirt

Dust and dirt cause your air conditioner to emit a foul odor. Over time, dust and dirt build up on the evaporator coils restricting adequate airflow and making it hard for your AC to cool your home.

The buildup creates a perfect environment for mold and mildew to thrive. Also, dust and dirt buildup causes the coils to decompose, producing a bad smell. If you think the dirt and dust buildup is causing a foul smell in your AC unit, consider contacting a professional AC repair company to eliminate the buildup without damaging the coils.

System Malfunction

If you detect a smell of formaldehyde, paint thinner, or other chemicals from your AC, you need to make a speedy appointment with your AC repair company.

The air conditioner uses many liquids and could cause an odor if your unit malfunctions. These odors can cause serious health hazards if inhaled in large quantities.

Dead Animal

Animals, rats, mice, and rodents can enter your ventilation system during the cold months to seek warm conditions to take shelter. These creatures can die and start to disintegrate before the summer season. This causes a bad smell resembling rotten eggs in your air ducts. Such dead animals can be seen during regular preventive maintenance and removed by technicians from your AC repair company before they rot.

If a dead animal is in your AC, you can remove the carcass using kitchen tongs or an appropriate tool to eliminate the smell.

Clogged Condensate Drain

Condensate lines work to remove water from within your AC unit to the outside of your home.

If the condensate drain becomes clogged, it can cause a musty smell as the water backs up. A professional AC repair company can remove the blockage from the condensate drain.

Sewage

Sometimes, the foul smell from your AC unit can result from sewage backing up into your air conditioner. This happens if AC’s air ducts that connect to your home are located near a clogged or cracked sewer line.

Sewage contains harmful bacteria that lead to potential health risks if inhaled. In that case, you don’t need any AC repair services, instead contact a local plumber to fix the sewer line.

Refrigerant Leaks

There could be a possibility of a refrigerant leak in your system if you smell a foul odor coming out of your central air conditioner or ductless system. In the event of a leak, the stench resembles the smell of acetone. If this issue remains unsolved, it can result in serious health complications.

Again, the air conditioner will function less efficiently, leading to increased utility bills. In such a situation, you should reach out to a trusted AC repair company to help you fix the leak before the issue gets out of hand.

Cigarette Smoke

Most homeowners don’t know the drawbacks of smoking inside the house. Once you smoke indoors, the excess smoke is trapped by drywalls and furniture in your home. The smoke odor is pushed to the evaporator coils of your system.

So, every time you turn on your AC unit, the smell of cigarettes is released into your home. To get rid of this bad air, you will need to consult a professional AC repair company to clean your evaporator coils and other components of your unit.

Our Experts Can Remove Unpleasant Air Conditioner Smells in Your Home

Your indoor air needs to be fresh to promote a healthy environment for you and your family. Don’t let bad smells from your AC stress you. At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth, we have competent and experienced technicians who’ll diagnose the problem quickly and fix it.

Our AC repair company is reputable for offering top-notch heating and air conditioning services to commercial and residential clients throughout Arlington, TX. You can rely on us for emergency repairs, preventative maintenance and service agreements, home performance evaluations, and geothermal system installation. If you are having AC problems, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Photo By Kateryna Kon at Shutterstock