Unpleasant smell from the air conditioner: causes and methods of struggle

The work of properly installed, serviced and serviceable air conditioner in principle is not accompanied by any odors. Even, on the contrary, with additional filters, such devices are able to remove unpleasant scents from the street. However, sometimes it happens that the owner of the air conditioner begins to feel an unpleasant smell immediately after turning it on. This may indicate a number of problems.
The simplest option is that the air conditioner has not been cleaned for a long time, so colonies of bacteria or mold fungi have formed in the system. Unfortunately, there are more complex cases that require qualified repairs.

The main causes and sources of unpleasant aromas can be:

• The ventilation system at home. If a newly installed air conditioner begins to smell unpleasant, this may be due to the fact that pollution has accumulated in the ventilation system of the building or colonies of various microorganisms have formed. It is impossible to clean such ventilation on your own, since you need to clean not only what is in your apartment, but the entire system.
• Dirty filters. Their immediate task is to clean the absorbed air from dust, dirt, microbes, poplar fluff and other contaminants. Therefore, they must be cleaned regularly, otherwise the smell will appear, and the effectiveness will decrease. Fortunately, most filters can be cleaned on their own. It is recommended to do this 1 or 2 times a year if we are talking about home air conditioners. Cleaning of industrial air conditioners should take place more often.
• Refrigerant leak. It does not matter whether it is antifreeze or ethylene glycol, such a leak is accompanied by an unpleasant “chemical” smell. And this is an extremely alarming sign, since both of these substances are dangerous to human health. Only to find and eliminate the leak is rarely.
• Microbial colonies. Due to the increased humidity in the drainage system can form colonies of bacteria or mold. Often this is due to insufficient inclination of the drainage tube or improper installation of the system. In the first case, the usual cleaning is enough, and in the second, alas, you will have to reinstall the air conditioner completely.

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How to fix the problem on your own

• Wash the external filters. They are easily removed and washed under a stream of water. After that, they need to be given a little time to dry up - and set back.
• Use disinfectant solutions. If washing the filter did not help, and the smell continues to spread from inside the air conditioner, you can use disinfectants. Either professional or improvised based on alcohol or vodka. The problem is that the first inclusion of the device after such processing will fill the room with the aroma of disinfectant. Not to mention the fact that such treatment may not eliminate microbial contamination completely, and the problem will soon return.
• Clear the drainage pipe. If something unpleasant smelling started in it because of the humidity, then you can try to remove it with the help of cleaning products, long pearls and other similar things.
• Disassemble the air conditioner. And clean up exactly every detail. The method is most effective, but it works only when you know the internal structure of the system and are able not only to disassemble it, but also to assemble it correctly.
• Find alternative sources of smell. The source of the problem may be something else, such as rotting plants in pots or the results of the life of pets.
• Regular inspection and prevention. The easiest way to deal with a problem is to prevent it. Timely maintenance of air conditioners and regular cleaning is the best way to eliminate the unpleasant smell “at the root”.

But perhaps the easiest way to deal with an unpleasant smell is to contact specialists. They know better what can smell unpleasant there and how to get rid of it in the most effective way.