No matter the season, you depend on your HVAC system to keep your Harrison, Ohio, home comfortable and smelling fresh. If your HVAC system seems to be doing more harm than good in the odor department, you may need professional help. From musty smells to electrical issues to lingering household odors, discover five reasons your HVAC system smells and when to take action.
Musty Smells
Just because you haven’t noticed black or green spots, the telltale signs of mold, doesn’t mean that this fungus don’t lurk in your home. If your HVAC system tends to propel a musty smell throughout your home, there’s a good chance it’s harboring mold or mildew.
While mold and mildew don’t usually signal an HVAC emergency, they are good indicators of indoor air quality issues. Fortunately, the Western Hills Heating & Air Conditioning team can help. Schedule an appointment with our experienced technicians, and we’ll find out where mold is hiding in your HVAC system. Depending on the severity, a simple maintenance program could prevent mold from returning.
If your HVAC system has a bigger mold problem, however, we may recommend installing a germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light. These devices prevent mold from growing in your HVAC system and help eliminate this persistent fungus.
Electrical Issues
The smell of burning plastic or electrical components are enough to send most homeowners into high alert and for good reason. If you suspect that this smell is coming from the HVAC system, you’ll want to take action right away.
First, turn off the system altogether. Next, call our team for an emergency appointment. Electrical issues aren’t HVAC problems that you should attempt to fix on your own, so always leave this to a professional. Whether your system needs a new part or you need a new system altogether, our team will have you up and running as soon as possible.
Dirty Sock Syndrome
Dirty socks smell bad enough when they’re in the laundry room. If you’ve ever experienced what’s known as Dirty Sock Syndrome, you know that this is an issue you’ll want to deal with right away. Essentially, Dirty Sock Syndrome indicates that bacteria have made a home on your air conditioner’s evaporator coils. Every time your HVAC system kicks on, the smell of decaying debris goes right from the unit through the ductwork and to every room in your home.
Our team has had plenty of experience with Dirty Sock Syndrome, and we know where bacteria like to hide. In many cases, we strategically place a germicidal UV lamp to kill the bacteria. We also recommend scheduling an HVAC tuneup twice a year to ensure that you don’t have to deal with Dirty Sock Syndrome again.
Rotten Egg Stench
If you thought dirty socks smelled bad, wait until your HVAC system greets you with the smell of rotten eggs. This sulfur-like stench usually indicates that there’s a natural gas leak in your home. This can be very dangerous, so take action right away. Turn off your heating system, open the windows, and go outside to call the gas company for assistance.
If you’ve confirmed that there are no gas leaks but you still detect a rotten egg smell coming from the vents, call our team. Decomposing matter in the ductwork may also cause this problem, and it’s one that you’ll definitely want professional help handling.
Lingering Household Odors
In some cases, your HVAC system might not be producing a bad smell, but it could still be distributing the odor throughout your home. This often happens with tobacco smoke, cooking smells, and pet odors.
To remove those lingering odors, our team often recommends investing in a Trane CleanEffects system. It works with your HVAC system to clean and purify the air, removing contaminants, eliminating odors, and capturing almost 100 percent of airborne allergens. When your air quality needs a serious boost, this system delivers.
Need an expert opinion to get to the bottom of persistent HVAC odors? Call our HVAC experts at Western Hills Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.: 812-227-3001.
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