What causes your Air Conditioning System to Smell?

Aug. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- When it is hot outside, you need your central air conditioning to blow cool air into your home, not strange smells. Smells are warnings that your system requires maintenance.

Cause

• Smells blown into your home by your air conditioning unit can have two sources. If you have mold growing on the condenser coil, then the unpleasant, earthy odor can travel through your air ducts into your home. If you recently had an unpleasant odor in your home, like smoke or skunk, the smell can be absorbed by your system's air filter and linger there after the source of the odor has been cleaned away.

Solution

• Mold growing inside your air conditioning unit can be cleaned away with a solution of one part bleach to three parts water. Once the mold has been removed, the musty odor will disappear. If the issue is with your air filter, by simply removing and replacing it, will stop the odor from returning.

Prevention
• Proper drainage can prevent mold from growing on your central air conditioning's condenser coil. Making sure water doesn't accumulate in it, mold is less likely to return. As regular maintenance, remember to regularly change your air filter, especially after a bad smell has been blown through your home, this will keep the filter from retaining unpleasant odors.