When nasty smells mingle with the cool air it can ruin the refreshing sensation that you air conditioner is designed to provide. Dirty, clogged air conditioners can be smelly and you need to get rid of those smells as soon as possible. In addition to cooling your home, your A/C is designed to remove excess moisture. If stagnant water isn’t drained properly, mold may begin to grow on areas with lingering moisture, leading to a stinky feet smell.

Air Conditioner Smells Like Feet; What is Dirty Sock Syndrome?

In the A/C business the term “Dirty Sock Syndrome” is used. This is when your air conditioning gives off a foul, moldy, mildew-like smell when you turn it on. It is caused by the buildup of mold and bacteria on your evaporator coil. Mold and mildew can grow due to the moisture that builds up through continued use and is fueled by the dust that collects in your A/C over time through inadequate filtration. This is especially common when your unit goes from a time of heating to cooling, making it very common in the springtime. It is normal for heat to be on in the night and morning, then transition to a period of cooling later in the day. The heat mixed with dust and moisture in the darkness of your A/C unit is the perfect recipe for dirty sock syndrome.

Air Conditioner Smells Like Rotten Eggs or Sewage

The smell of rotten, spoiled eggs is usually caused by a dead animal. This smell coming from the air conditioner gives off a foul odor through the vents. An injured or sick bird may have become trapped inside the air duct during the winter months and began to decompose. Then summer rolls around and you turn on the air conditioning and the first thing you smell is a pungent odor. The ducts will need to be professionally cleaned. Sewage smells come from a backed up sewer line or a ruptured sewer vent pipe near the duct system. All it takes is a little methane gas smell from a leaky sewage line to make your entire home smell.

Skunk, Gun Powder & Exhaust Air Conditioner Smells

The smell of skunk is unlikely to actually be a dead skunk. it is more likely to be a gas leak from somewhere. Methyl mercaptan from the gas leak, which smells very much like skunk spray, may be entering the ductwork and circulating throughout your home. This can be very dangerous to your family and needs an HVAC technician and your gas company immediately. A gun powder smell is a shorted out circuit board or fan motor that will send that smell out through the registers when it first turns on. Replacing aging parts is the fix. While the A/C system runs on electricity, the engine and a few other components have fluids inside that can leak out causing an exhaust fume smell. The A/C needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

HVAC Services in Springfield, Granby, Holyoke, South Hadley Monson & Agawam Massachusetts

It is very important to prevent mold and provide adequate filtration for the air entering your air conditioner. If you are experiencing foul odors throughout your home, chances are you’re dealing with an issue in you air conditioning system. Call Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning for all your air conditioning and heating needs.