Does Your AC Smell Funky?

Air conditioning systems, especially the well-built ones, shouldn’t smell. That’s because they deal with the air in your home and the air outside, so unless the air all around us smells bad, your nose shouldn’t notice anything. Air conditioners, just like cars, don’t smell bad when they work perfectly well, and if they do start to smell—then it’s high time you had the problem checked out by a professional.

Bad smells can be anywhere from an electrical problem to a mold problem that could be impacting your health. In fact, using your nose to detect a problem could be a surefire way to avoid more expensive repairs in the future when you contact our team ahead of schedule!

So, if you think one of the following smells or problems is happening to you, call our team for AC repair in Durham, NC.

Smells Signify Problems

If you take anything away from this blog post, it should be that a bad smell almost always signifies a problem with your AC. No matter what the smell is, it’s never good. Air conditioners are supposed to supply your home with fresh, cool air that smells how your air ducts or the interior smells.

Musty Smell

While your air conditioner might deal mostly with air, it also deals with moisture. Every air conditioner has a certain level of dehumidification properties, which means its removing moisture from the air as it cools it. However, when it does that, it has to remove the moisture through a “condensate line” that leads out of your home. When that line gets clogged or dirty, it can retain the water. Think about it, when water gets stuck in a cool, dark place, you’re bound to have mold and mildew begin to grow. This is usually the culprit of a musty smell.

This particular type of smell can also relate to mold in your ductwork or mold on your evaporator coils. Either of these should be addressed since mold spores in your air can make you sick—but always call for a professional to have your ducts cleaned or your evaporator coils cleaned. Never try to do these fixes on your own.

Worse Smells

Anything worse than a musty smell needs to be addressed. There could be a pest that’s contained in your ductwork or somewhere within your air conditioner that’s causing your air to smell bad. Not only will this problem cause you an immense amount of discomfort but it will also heavily impact the efficiency of your air conditioner. Think about it, if a critter is lodged in your AC somewhere, it’s restricting airflow and causing your system to work much harder to cool your home than it should be. If you value your health, comfort, and energy bills, then you’re better off having a professional address this problem for you.

Smells are simple yet effective ways to notice a problem with your AC and have it fixed. Don’t, under any circumstance, ignore a smell that seems foul or uncomfortable. Your home should smell fresh, the way that you want it.

Call the team at Raleigh Heating & Air if you suspect a problem with your AC.