We install air conditioners to help us feel comfortable in our homes. But when you start to experience unpleasant odors coming from your cooling system, it’s more than just irritating. It can greatly affect your home comfort.

Where are these smells coming from?

Start with what the odor smells like. If the odor resembles a rotten egg, this could be a sign of a gas leak. If this is the case, you should open your windows, turn off the gas supply, evacuate the home and call the gas company. Make sure to let the gas company turn it back on for you. It’s not something you want to tackle yourself.

If it doesn’t smell like rotten eggs, you probably have a different problem.

Just like anything in your indoor space, if your air conditioner isn’t cleaned well or taken care of, there’s a good chance that dirt and dust will develop. And because components of your air conditioner aren’t front and center, cleaning them can often go overlooked.

Buildup of mold, dirt and other particles is one of the more typical culprits of odor with air conditioners. It can occur with the coils, drain pain, air ducts or even your filter. Thankfully, ongoing maintenance can help decrease this buildup and reduce the odds that an unfriendly smell starts spreading throughout your house.

Heat and moisture can contribute to increased mold growth, especially in warmer climates. Not only can mold and mildew develop a nasty smell, but it can also negatively impact the quality of air in your space.

It’s also possible that a small animal navigated into your duct system and died. You can turn off your air conditioner and either give our team or pest control a call to come and retrieve the animal.

What should you do?

Check your filter. This is a common culprit for air conditioner odors. If it’s been a long time since you’ve swapped your air filter, go ahead and replace it with a brand new one. We typically advise changing your filter every three months. But it’s also key to keep in mind other factors that would require you to replace it more repeatedly, such as pets in the home or if a family member has allergies or asthma.

If you’ve replaced the filter and it’s not helping, it’s probably time to call in an expert. Especially if it’s been an extended period of time since your last air conditioning examination. Technicians can examine the situation to see if a thorough cleaning can do the job. You might consider having your air ducts cleaned. Professional duct cleaners can take a look to see if your indoor air quality would improve from a proper cleaning.

If you have concerns about the odors in your home, All Weather Heating & Air Conditioning Inc can help you review the situation and chat about possible solutions. You should be able to enjoy your cool indoor space during the warmer summer months, without having to suffer with undesirable odors. You can arrange an appointment with our experts online or give us a shout at 256-801-4701.