Your home’s air conditioner is your best friend in the summertime. Whether it’s a central HVAC system or a window unit, a properly maintained AC will provide the right chill in the air to make sure that you’re not having to sweat it out from Memorial Day to Labor Day. However, problems can come up, and some are right under your nose. Here are some of the reasons that your air conditioner may be spreading a funk throughout your home.
Equipment is breaking down or rusting.
You could be just sitting in your living room when a funk starts coming from your AC unit. You may ask yourself, “Why does it smell bad when I use my AC in Creola, AL?” One of the reasons could be that the air conditioner is breaking down. Depending on the age of the system, it could be nearing the end of its life span. If you notice a burning smell coming from your air conditioning, along with audible noises, an HVAC system may be dealing with rust within its inner mechanisms, or loose or broken equipment.
You may have noticed that in addition to this burning odor, the cool air is not spreading throughout the household as it usually does. This could be the result of negligence when it comes to regular maintenance or overuse of the system. You can prevent this odor by limiting how often your air conditioning system is running. Some homeowners may try to keep an AC running all day to keep the household cool, but all that does is stress the unit and send energy bills soaring from overuse.
Air filters need cleaning or replacement.
Failing to regularly clean the filters within your air conditioner can lead to dust buildup, as well as that of other contaminants, within the unit’s air filter. If you notice that funk is building up near your vents, that could be because of allergens clogging up the system. This will in turn limit the spread of cool air throughout a particular room or throughout an entire household, creating incredible discomfort on a humid day.
If you notice that an ammonia-like smell is coming through the air conditioning vents, that can actually be the result of pet dander and skin cells lingering in your indoor air. Cleaning filters at least every two months for a window unit can spare you from strange smells down the line in the summer. An AC system may also have a chemical smell that is brought on by leaks or cracks in a condenser unit. This also prevents a cooler temperature from getting through your rooms when you need it the most.
Mold and mildew are building up.
If you notice a musty smell coming from your HVAC system, that means that mold and mildew are building up in the system or even within the ductwork or vents of that unit. This is a sign of a lingering danger in your indoor air quality. Mold spores are dangerous to inhale and can actually lead to long-term health problems like asthma. If you have HVAC ductwork within your household, it’s important to have them regularly checked for any moisture that is building up and creating a breeding ground for spores.
In order to get through the summer months, you want to make sure that your air conditioning system is properly maintained. Regular cleaning and restraints on when the system is turned on are the best ways to make sure that an AC can cool you down for several summers rather than becoming just the problematic “smelly kid” among your household appliances.
