There’s absolutely nothing much better than running away from the scorching warmth of summer as well as relaxing in your cool home. However, when you catch a whiff of an unusual, stuffy scent, you require to act quickly. What does that mildewy smell originating from your air conditioning system suggest? 
In short, a mildewy scent indicates bacterial development accumulation, which bases on the drainpipe, evaporator coil, or in the drip frying pan or drain line of your AC. Your evaporator coil is a dark and damp area, so all types of mold and mildew, as well as mildew, can expand, which triggers that undesirable, musty odor. We will cover the actions you need to take to discover the source of the mildewy AC smell and just how to fix it, consisting of:
- Check if your AC drainpipe pan is complete
- Look for frozen evaporator coils
- See if there is excess moisture in your air ducts or vents
- Recognize if there is a blockage in your condensate line
- Establish if your a/c device is not the best size for your residence
Due to the fact that the air coming from your air conditioner vents isn’t intended to have a smell, you’ll require a specialist cooling and heating company if you discover a musty odor a little while after changing the thermostat to a cooler setting.
Let’s have a look at why you need to act fast when you discover a weird odor and five typical reasons why your air conditioning unit is putting out musty air.
Why Are Weird Smells An Issue?
Whether you notice the smell of unclean socks, rotten eggs, or mold permeating from your ductwork, all scents show an underlying concern with your air conditioning system.
In some cases, your cooling and heating system may discharge a burning smell at the start of the cooling or home heating season as dirt that has worked out in your device burns. If you scent rotten eggs can indicate you have a gas leakage or a dead animal in your vents. A filthy sock smell, or musty odor, means you might have a mold problem.
A musty odor generally means there could be contaminants present in your a/c system. Since your system is a dark as well as damp place, it’s a breeding ground for microbial growth.
This suggests that your a/c is spreading unsafe mold spores into every area of your residence. These spores can trigger severe health and wellness concerns, specifically if your family members have problems with allergies.
Homeowners must never ever neglect odd scents originating from their a/c systems. The most effective way to get to the bottom of your odor problems is to call a specialist a/c technician to review your system.
5 Reasons Why Your A/C Smells Musty
As you await your air conditioning unit service technician to get here, it’s useful to repair to assist them to where the prospective problem is taking place. This will certainly speed up the process as well as ensure your cooling and heating system gets repaired the first time correctly and your house scents fresh one more time.
Below are five typical reasons that your air conditioner has a mildewy odor and also where you can look to determine if that is the issue.
1. The Drainpipe Frying Pan is Full
Due to the fact that your air conditioner system gets rid of humid air from your residence, it triggers water droplets to come under the drip or drain frying pan. This part of your a/c system endures typical deterioration, which indicates its performance will degrade over time.
An inadequate drip frying pan will certainly gather mold, which causes the odor in our home when the unit is running. Your neighborhood a/c service technician can replace it with a new one to remove the smell.
Where To Look: The drip pan is located straight underneath your system’s evaporator coils.
2. Icy Evaporator Coils
Your a/c takes in warm interior air, removes the humidity while cooling it, and also cycles the air back via return vents. Unobstructed air movement is essential for this process, so air filters need to be tidy.
Dust, as well as particles, will certainly obstruct airflow, which creates water beads from the humid indoor air to build upon the evaporator coils. These water declines will certainly freeze as the AC unit’s refrigerant cools the air. Your HVAC service technician will require to let the condenser coil thaw and also transform the filters to recover optimum air movement.
Where To Look: The evaporator coils are located inside or near the air trainer, where the blower follower is in your system.
3. Excess Moisture In Ducts Or Vents
When excess moisture accumulates inside ducts as well as vents, it’s brought on by high moisture levels or a water drainage leak. If you smell something musty as quickly as you turn on the air conditioner system, there’s an opportunity that mold, as well as mildew, have made their means right into your ductwork.
Mold direct exposure can cause top respiratory system health issues, so call a professional HVAC specialist immediately. Your air ducts and also vents will certainly require to execute duct cleansing as well as fixings to get rid of the musty odors for good.
Where To Look: Your air ducts are affixed to the vents in your house. Some ductwork might remain in the ceiling or in a crawlspace, which means an expert will need to access it to ensure the mold problem isn’t considerable.
4. Blocked Condensate Line
The device’s condensate line is a little pipeline, generally made from PVC, located beside the condenser system. The condenser system is the part of your cooling device located outside of your house. Its job is to drain water from the drip pan right into your landscape design or tornado drain.
It’s also among the leading places for mold and mildew, mold, and sludge to develop due to its tiny size. This results in blockages, and also certainly, stuffy odors in your home.
To Look: The condensate drainpipe line is a tiny pipeline that runs from your home inside to the outside portion of your unit.
5. Incorrect A/c Size For Residence
For your air conditioning system to function appropriately, it needs to be the appropriate dimension for your residence. If it’s as well big, the air gets cycled too swiftly, resulting in a lack of dehumidification and also a boost in excess wetness. If it’s as well tiny, it will activate and off constantly, causing premature failure.
Ask your HVAC specialist to inspect if your cooling unit is the appropriate size. A/c unit sizing is about more than your home’s square footage. Your solution technician will certainly also take into consideration the number of people that live there, your house’s insulation kind, as well as your requirements based upon your neighborhood environment.
Where To Look: Ask your service technician to examine your system.
When your cooling system discharges a funny odor, call a specialist today to avoid hazardous contaminants from jeopardizing the air quality of your home. Don’t forget to arrange regular a/c upkeep to avoid moldy smells from developing in your house.
Rice Heating and Air are a full-service HVAC Contractor headquartered in Alma, AR. The company specializes in air conditioning repair, AC installations, indoor air quality systems, heating repair, and furnace installations. Rice Heating and Air are focused on helping homeowners and businesses stay comfortable year-round. We are your comfort experts.
Call us today for any of your heating and cooling needs.
