You run your HVAC system to make your home environment comfortable and more enjoyable. Life can quickly become less pleasant if the air circulating through your HVAC system has a bad smell, though, and some HVAC odors can expose your family to potential safety and heath hazards.
Identifying and Eliminating Odors in Your HVAC
There are various reasons why your HVAC airflow has an unpleasant odor, and finding the cause is a first step toward getting rid of the smell. Here’s a look at the most common odors that can plague an HVAC system and their possible origins, along with some advice on how to clear the air:
- Chemical odors. Vapors from everyday household chemicals and off-gassed VOCs can build up indoors if your home is lacks adequate ventilation. Your HVAC pro can advise you on the best option for eliminating indoor pollutants, such as installing a ventilator unit or integrating a whole-home air cleaner into the HVAC system.
- “Burnt” wiring fumes. Odors like this are often a warning sign of overheated electrical components in an HVAC system, which might be due to a faulty circuit board or a fan motor with bad bearings. To prevent any risk of fire, turn off your HVAC system at the breaker, and call your HVAC contractor to locate the cause.
- Acetone-like smells. If the smell carried by your conditioned air reminds you of nail polish remover, you may have a refrigerant leak. A suspected leak should be investigated immediately by an experienced HVAC technician, because costly components like your compressor can be damaged or ruined if the refrigerant level gets too low.
- Musty or dirty-sock aromas. These unpleasantly pungent odors are usually caused by the growth of microorganisms like mold, mildew, algae or bacteria inside the HVAC system. To eliminate the foul smell, your HVAC technician needs to find and clean the source, which might be a clogged air filter or evaporator coil, debris and dampness in the ductwork, or a condensate drain blockage.
For help eliminating odors in your Lorain home’s HVAC system, contact us today at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home comfort and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area