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Heating And AC Repair: 8 Common Odors And Their Causes In Your HVAC System | Dallas, TX

Heating And AC Repair: 8 Common Odors And Their Causes In Your HVAC System | Dallas, TX

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Odor particles travel alongside the air inside your home and these smells can circulate within your home because of your HVAC system. There are a variety of different smells that can be present in your home and they all have different causes. It is beneficial to identify the times of smells and have an idea of why might be causing it so that you can inform your heating and AC repair technician. Once you start to notice foul odors in your home, you should contact a professional immediately. If you allow these odors to circulate through your home for too long then the smell can seep into your furniture, clothes, or curtains. Once this has happened you will spend more and more time trying to remove those odors. One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas, TX would like to give you more information regarding the different smells within your home. Certain odors come with more health and safety risks than others. If you contact your repair technician and they advise you to remain outside of your home until they arrive then it is best to take your family and pets and wait outside. This could save lives.

1. Burnt Smell

If you have not used your HVAC system in quite a while then there will be some dust that accumulates on the heat exchanger. If you turn on your system then the dust particles will burn off inside of your HVAC unit. These will release a smell that can last for a day or two but it should dissipate after then. This is normal and should not be a cause for concern. You will not have to hire your heating and AC repair technician for this smell. This smell will also come from the ducts and not from the air conditioning unit. If there is a burnt smell coming from your air conditioning unit then there might be some components that are damaged. You should not attempt to repair these components yourself. It is advised to hire a professional heating and AC repair technician to take a look at your problem. They have the knowledge and experience to resolve the problem without causing more damages to your system.

2. Electrical Odors

In a world where we are surrounded by technology and electrical appliances, we are all familiar with the smell of electrical components overheating. If you smell an electrical burning odor coming from your HVAC system then it might be time for some heating and AC repairs. One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas, TX will send out one or two of their qualified technicians to inspect the unit. Firstly they will turn off the unit and check the air filters. This will allow them to determine if the dirty air filters are restricting the airflow inside of the HVAC unit. If the airflow is restricted then it can cause electrical components to overheat. If the air filters are not the cause of the problem then the heating and AC repair technicians will check the motors. Sometimes there is a problem with the wiring inside of the motors which can cause the wires to fry. If you are not a trained heating and AC repair technician then you should not attempt to fix the wiring within the motor. This can lead to an electrical shock or it can start a fire if you are not careful. If you smell something that is similar to gunpowder then that means the onboard motor or circuit board has shorted. Since technicians deal with these problems regularly they are able to find the problem by following their noses.

3. Oil

If you smell the oil and you haven’t fried any food recently then there might be a larger problem in your HVAC system. There might be an oil leak within your system and it can originate from different points in your system like the online line, oil burner, or the filters. This can be caused by a bad fuel pump or blocked burner. You will have to hire a professional heating and AC repair technician to determine exactly what is causing the oily smell. They will also be able to repair or replace the components that are responsible for these smells. You should also look out for smoke, soot, or unusual sounds if you smell the oil. You should convey all this information to your heating and AC repair technician as it will give them a better indication of what the problem might be. You should not attempt to find the cause yourself as you do not know what you should be looking for.

4. Rotten Eggs or Sulfur Smell

Sulfur and rotten eggs have a very similar smell. if your home starts smelling like rotten eggs then there might be a problem with your plumbing system or your HVAC system. This smell is indicative that you have a natural gas leak somewhere in your home. Utility service providers add a rotten egg smell to natural gasses since they are usually odorless. This helps the homeowners to identify if there is a natural gas leak before it becomes too hazardous for them. If you smell rotten eggs then you should open your windows and evacuate your home until the heating and AC repair technicians arrive. Even if the smell is not caused by natural gas it is always better to take preventative measures so that you can ensure the safety of your family. Other times the rotten egg smell can be caused by a decomposing animal in your HVAC unit. These animals make their way into the ductwork and then they cannot escape which means they die of starvation or thirst. If you suspect that there is a dead animal in your ducts you should hire duct cleaning services so that they can remove the dead animal and sanitize the duct. These rotten animals release gases and bacteria that are bad for your health. A professional duct cleaning service provider will sanitize the ducts and deodorize them so that you do not have to constantly smell rotten eggs. Duct cleaning should only be done by a professional as they know which chemicals are the most effective.

5. Skunky Smell

Every American has probably smelled the rancid odor of a skunk. If your air conditioner is producing air that smells like a skunk then you should call a heating and AC repair technician as soon as possible. As mentioned before natural gas does not have an odor so instead of adding a rotten egg odor to natural gas, some companies will add methyl mercaptan to natural gases and propane. This serves the same function as the rotten egg smell which helps the homeowner determine if there is a gas leak. You should immediately turn off the gas, open the windows, and leave your home as soon as you smell that skunk stench. The heating and AC repair technician will have masks that protect them from the gas when they do the repairs. That is why it is crucial that you do not attempt to investigate or repair the gas leak yourself.

6. Stinky Feet

If your home starts smelling like stinky feet when you turn on your HVAC system then it might indicate that you have undrained water in your HVAC system. If the water does not drain then it becomes stagnant which means that fungi, mold, and bacteria will start to grow in or around the areas of the still-standing water. These microbes can release spores which can be a health hazard if they are inhaled. If there is still standing water then it might indicate a leak somewhere in your system or the drainage pipe in your air conditioner that allows the accumulated moisture to exit the system is blocked. You should not attempt to go looking for the sour smell and you should rather hire a heating and AC repair technician. The heating and AC repair technician will have to disassemble the HVAC unit to find the origin of the sour smell. After that, they will remove the odor and repair the component. Once that has been done, they will have to resemble the HVAC unit.

7. Musty or Moldy Smells

Moldy or musty smells are not uncommon for an HVAC system because there is a lot of condensation that collects within the system. If the system is unable to drain this condensation correctly then it will travel into the ducts. Wet and warm ducts are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Mold releases spores when it wants to create more colonies of mold. These spores can irritate your nose and throat which will lead to more coughing than usual. The mold can grow in various areas of your ducts and if they grow close to the entrance of the vents that you can easily clean the mold. Mold is easy to spot since it grows in a variety of different colours. If the mold is further down in your ducts then it will only be possible for you to smell the mold. Sometimes you will require duct cleaning services to remove the mold from the ducts and other times you will have to hire a heating and AC repair technician to inspect your system and determine where the mold is coming from and what is causing it. They will also be able to repair the component that is responsible for draining the moisture from the HVAC unit so that the mold or mildew does not come back. You should not attempt to get rid of the mold deep within your system as improper methods can cause the mold to spread even further into your home.

8. Sewage

The smell of sewage is very pungent and it can be difficult to ignore the smell. The sewage odor is often associated with the plumbing system and it indicates that there is a problem with the sewage line. The sewage line that is close to your ductwork could have burst or there might be a leak. The sewage releases methane gas and this gas can make its way into your ducts. The smell will travel through your home and make your home smell rancid. Methane gas is flammable so if you smell sewage then it is best not to have any open sources of heat in your home. A heating and AC repair technician will not be able to fix the sewer line hence why it is better to call a plumber to take a look at the sewer line. Methane gas in large quantities can be harmful and thus you should evacuate your house until the sewer line has been repaired.

If you have noticed any of these odors or any unusual odors then you should contact your heating and AC repair technician to come and take a look at your HVAC system. The more information you give your heating and AC repair technician the easier it will be for them to identify the problem. You should inform the heating and AC repair technician if there is a noise accompanying the smells and if the smell gets worse when certain things happen. They will be able to adequately prepare for the problems that they might face. One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas, TX has qualified and experienced technicians that will remove the foul smell within your home and repair whatever component that might be causing the smell. They also have additional heating and AC services to choose from like installation, repairs, maintenance, and duct cleaning services. You will never have to look for another heating and AC repair company again.

If you are experiencing any of these smells then contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas, TX immediately.