Many of us install air conditioners to help us feel cool in our homes. But when you start to experience unpleasant odors coming from your cooling system, it’s more than just irritating. It can greatly impact your home comfort.
Where are these smells coming from?
Begin with what the odor smells like. If the odor resembles a rotten egg, this could be a signal of a gas leak. If this is the case, you should open your windows, turn off the gas supply, evacuate the home and contact the gas company. Make sure to let the gas company turn it back on for you. It’s not something you want to risk doing on your own.
If it doesn’t smell like rotten eggs, you probably have a different problem.
Just like anything in your house, if your air conditioner isn’t cleaned well 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 frequent reasons you’ll notice odors with air conditioners. It can occur with the coils, drain pain, air ducts or even your filter. Thankfully, routine maintenance can help decrease this buildup and reduce the chances that an unfriendly smell starts dispersing throughout your house.
Heat and moisture can contribute to increased mold growth, especially in warmer climates. Not only can mold and mildew induce a nasty smell, but it can also negatively impact the quality of air in your space.
It’s also possible that a little critter 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 remove the animal.
What should you do?
Check 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, try replacing it with a brand new one. We typically suggest changing your filter every few months. But it’s also important to keep in mind other elements that would require you to replace it more frequently, such as pets in the home or if a family member has allergies or asthma.
If you’ve exchanged the filter and it’s not helping, it’s probably time to contact a professional. Especially if it’s been an long period of time since your last air conditioning inspection. They can examine the situation to see if a thorough cleaning can do the job. You might 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 anxiety about the odors in your home, Northwest Services can help you review the situation and chat about possible solutions. You should be able to enjoy your cool indoor space throughout the warmer summer months, without having to suffer with unfavorable odors. You can arrange an appointment with our team online or give us a shout at 419-548-5017.