Ideally, your Columbia, Maryland, home will enjoy a fresh, pleasant scent throughout the summer months. You want clean air, welcoming aromas, and a cool refreshing feeling to hit you when you walk into the house. If this isn’t the case, you should act fast. Unpleasant AC smells are often indicators of a serious problem with your system, so you shouldn’t ignore them.
If It Smells Musty
If you’ve ever encountered an old, poorly maintained building, you’re probably familiar with the damp, musty smells that often come along with these types of dwellings. If you’re experiencing a similar smell in your own home, this is a common indicator of microbial growth. You likely have dampness or standing water somewhere that it shouldn’t be. There are several key places to look to help you identify this problem.
First, make sure the musty smell isn’t due to microbial growth outside the HVAC system. Check the walls, flooring, and home upholstery for signs of unwanted growth, particularly in areas like the kitchen and bathrooms where you have a lot of moisture. If you don’t see any problems, it’s time to move on to your AC system.
Check your air filter to see if it’s damp or showing signs of biological growth. If a clean filter doesn’t resolve the issue, contact our technicians for a diagnosis. The issue could be a clogged condensate line or growth on your evaporator coils.
If It Smells Like Gunpowder
Do you notice a slightly burnt smell throughout the house, similar to gunpowder? If your AC system is emitting any type of burning aroma, you should contact our professionals immediately. This is often an indicator that your circuit board or motor has shorted out. If you continue to try and run the system in this condition, you can do serious damage to the air conditioner. Give us a call for a prompt repair.
If It Smells Like Ammonia or Body Odor
Ammonia is the smell most commonly associated with urine. That body odor smell you may associate with a long workout is actually the product of volatile fatty acids. Either or both of these smells may occur in your home if you have poor indoor air quality. Throughout the day, you naturally shed small flakes of skin. Your air conditioner sucks these into the unit, where they provide a feast for certain types of bacteria. Those unpleasant smells are the byproduct of the bacteria’s digestion process.
You can solve this problem by improving your indoor air quality systems. Begin by replacing your HVAC filter. If you have only a minor problem, instituting regular filter changes may solve the issue. If you have a more serious problem, you may want to consider installing an advanced indoor air quality system, such as a mechanical ventilation system or air cleaner.
If It Smells Like Exhaust Fumes
Is your air conditioner emitting a smell that’s similar to exhaust fumes? This often alarms homeowners, as the AC system isn’t gas-powered. However, these smells can still come from the unit when fluids are leaking inside the system. You should contact our technicians right away if you notice exhaust smells in your home. We can pinpoint and repair the leak for you to eliminate this odor quickly.
If It Smells Like Chemicals
A chemical odor is often difficult to describe, but you’ll notice a sharp, unpleasant smell in your home. If your air conditioner smells like any type of chemical, you should schedule a repair. These are several critical chemicals that are used in your AC system. These might smell like formaldehyde, paint thinner, or other chemicals when they leak out. This type of leak needs to be addressed promptly to prevent further damage to the air conditioner.
If your air conditioner is emitting any type of unpleasant odor, you should contact our team at Griffith Energy Services for a diagnosis and repair. Give us a call at 888-474-3391. We’ll carefully inspect your system to pinpoint the source of the smell and offer fast, efficient repairs to restore your home to its naturally pleasant aroma.
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