Air conditioners shouldn’t produce any kind of odor in your Palm Beach Gardens, FL, home. It’s reasonable to treat anything other than a neutral smell as a sign of trouble with the system. Here’s some information to help homeowners figure out why their AC system has a strange smell.
Ether or Chloroform
Refrigerant has a sweet odor that rather resembles that of ether or chloroform. Since this is a rather distinctive smell, it’s a very strong sign that your AC system is leaking refrigerant. To be sure, though, you may want to watch out for other confirmatory signs like a hissing sound or generally weak air conditioning performance.
Refrigerant is highly dangerous, and you should evacuate your home as soon as you become convinced that it’s leaking from your air conditioner. If you inhale enough refrigerant, it may cause permanent injury or death. Instead, ask our HVAC service technicians to stop the leak and refill your system, which they will typically do as part of maintenance services.
Smoke or Burning
If you smell something burning around or inside your AC system, you should seek professional help. Air conditioners use complex electrical wiring, some of which may lose its insulation, sustain damage and send arcs of electricity going where they shouldn’t go. Another possible explanation is that the AC system’s compressor or blower motor is overheating.
Garbage or Rotten Meat Stench
This especially awful stench likely indicates that, without your knowledge, an animal has crawled somewhere into your AC system and died. Since this smell is nearly unbearable, you may feel the temptation to investigate and solve the problem on your own. However, finding and removing a dead animal from your AC system’s interior without inadvertently damaging it requires technical skill, so we encourage you to call one of our professionals.
Your nose is a reliable tool to detect trouble with your air conditioner. We’re a reliable means to solve it. Call North County Cooling Inc. to schedule AC repair services near Palm Beach Gardens, FL, today.
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