Modern air conditioners are multi-functional climate control systems. In addition to cooling your living space, your AC should regulate humidity and offer limited air filtration. Together, these two secondary functions help keep building interiors clean and fresh. If your cooling system smells musty, moldy, or burnt, there’s an underlying problem. Read on to learn four ways in which bad AC odors can indicate the need for repairs.
1. Sharp, Sweet, and Burnt Smells Highlight Electrical Issues
If you smell sharp, sweet, or burnt odors when standing next to your air conditioner’s outdoor condenser, there’s a good chance your AC has electrical problems. Worn wiring, faulty circuits, and failed capacitors can all emit burning smells. Your AC might have missing wire insulation, damaged electrical contactors, or other electrical safety hazards.
The best way to respond to problems like these is by turning your air conditioner off and scheduling professional repairs. DIY electrical repairs pose the risk of electric shock, electrical fires, and potentially fatal electrocution.
2. Rank, Musty Smells Reveal Dirty AC Condensate Drains
To regulate humidity, your AC extracts excess moisture from the air. Near the end of each cooling cycle, your AC condenses this moisture and routes it out of your home via its condensate drain. Unfortunately, the interior of AC condensate drains is always moist and warm. These are the perfect conditions for mold, mildew, bacteria, and algae.
During the offseason, when your AC lies dormant, it can develop thick buildups of algae blooms and biofilms that block its condensate drain. You might have a blocked AC condensate drain if you have warm air coming from your vents, rising indoor humidity, and pervasive, musty odors.
3. Moldering Odors Indicate Mold Problems
Even without blocked condensate drains, air conditioners can develop heavy coatings of mold and mildew on their internal and external components. These buildups could mean that your indoor humidity is too high. However, they can also point to airflow problems throughout cooling systems, including:
- Dirty air filters
- Insufficient clearance around AC condensers
- Closed HVAC air vents
- Leaky or dirty ducting
You can stave off mold problems by scheduling professional AC maintenance at least once a year and regularly changing your air filter.
4. “Dirty Laundry” Smells Reveal Dirty Coils
Evaporator and condenser coils are the heat exchangers in air conditioners. Cold refrigerant inside evaporator coils extracts heat and humidity. Hot, high-pressure refrigerant in condenser coils releases this heat and humidity. Unfortunately, dirt, dander, pollen, and other particulates can settle on these components and inhibit heat transfer. These buildups make cooling systems less efficient. They can also cause rank odors that smell a lot like old, dirty laundry.
Foul odors could be symptoms of underlying problems in your air conditioner. To identify and resolve these issues, contact Dilling for expert AC repair service in Charlotte, NC.
