Many of us install air conditioners to help us feel cool in our homes. But when you start to notice unpleasant odors coming from your cooling system, it’s more than just irritating. It can greatly affect your home comfort.
Where do the smells come from?
Focus on 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 call 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 have a different issue.
Just like anything in your home, if your air conditioner isn’t cleaned properly or taken care of, there’s a good chance that dirt and dust will accumulate. 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 more typical culprits of odor with air conditioners. It can take place with the coils, drain pain, air ducts or even your filter. Thankfully, routine maintenance can help decrease this buildup and reduce the odds that an unfriendly smell starts spreading throughout your home.
Heat and moisture can contribute to increased mold growth, particularly in warmer climates. Not only can mold and mildew create 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 can I do?
Check your filter. This is a typical culprit for air conditioner odors. If it’s been a long time since you’ve changed your air filter, replace it with a brand new one. We typically advise changing your filter every three months. But it’s also key 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 reducing the smell, it’s probably time to call in an expert. Especially if it’s been an lengthy period of time since your last air conditioning checkup. The pros can assess the situation to see if a thorough cleaning can do the job. You could consider having your air ducts cleaned. Professional duct cleaners can take a look to see if your indoor air quality would benefit from a proper cleaning.
If you have anxiety about the odors in your home, Comfort Zone, LLC can help you assess the situation and talk through possible solutions. You should be able to enjoy your cool indoor space during the warmer summer months, without having to suffer with undesirable odors. You can arrange an appointment with our experts online or give us a shout at 239-214-0411.