What Do Those Harmless Air Conditioner Smells Mean

The moment a foul odor or smell emits from an air conditioner, thoughts of hazardous conditions come to mind. In many cases, AC odors can mean dangerous conditions that can have a negative impact on your health. While many smells can be harmless, it is best to have all smells inspected by an air conditioning repair professional.

Take a look at these air conditioner smells that are harmless and what each may mean.

Foul Garbage

A small rodent or bird could enter the air ducts of your air system. If it becomes stuck, it may die and decompose. Whenever the air conditioner powers on, a foul garbage odor enters the home. While the dead animal may not pose a danger to the system, the smell can seem deadly. You would want to contact an air conditioning repair tech to remove the decomposed animal.

Musty Smell

If your unit puts out a musty odor when it kicks on, it may be a sign that mildew or mold is sprouting within the system. Because air conditioners extract moisture from the air, it is quite normal for mold to accumulate. Dehumidification leads to the collection of water on the coils, and from there it drips onto the pan. If the water fails to evaporate, mold can collect within one to two days, which leads to the musty smell.

Smelly Feet

When water collects and sits in a drain pan, it can emit an odor similar to that of smelly feet. Although the smell isn’t a sign of danger, no one wants there home to smell like smelly feet. In addition, the water that stands in the drain pan can quickly lead to the growth of mold. If the smell continues to linger after the water is removed, you may need to contact an air conditioning repair company to inspect the odor.

AC units work extremely hard. It is common for an occasional smell to develop from time to time. Any odor that is unexplainable or lasts for extended periods of time should be inspected by AC professionals.