6 Reasons Why Your Aircon Has Sour Smell

Installing an aircon is the best investment option if you want to keep your home or car cooled. Many people have it tough in installing and using their aircons. Despite their numerous benefits, they require high and keen maintenance which can not be offered by most people who are having a rough time in using it. This is the reason why there are an increased number of aircon smelly cases in Singapore. If you are one of the people experiencing an aircon sour smell, below are 6 reasons that might be the cause of this problem.

1. Mold and bacteria
Growth of mold in the air vents is one of the possible causes of aircon sour smell. This is prevalent especially when a car is getting older. They grow right behind the dash panel of the evaporator. At times, they can also grow in cars that are not used regularly. Turning on the air conditioner to the maximum level can result in dripping of excessive water to the unit that provides a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria and mold.

This problem can be fixed by using an anti-bacterial treatment mechanism that will destroy all the growing molds and bacteria. The air conditioning can also be turned off and the fun run for a few minutes to evaporate the water resting on the coils of the unit.

2. Gas leak
At times, the sour smell could be as a result of a gas leak. The smell of the gas is always sucked into the air in the air conditioner whenever the A/C unit is turned on. The only way to solve this problem is by repairing the leak. You can check through the fuel pressure regulator and the fuel injector rings since they are the most affected areas with gas leaks. You can also check for the presence of any holes on the muffler and the exhaust pipes since they could be the cause of the leaks.

3. Dirty air filters
If the air filters are not cleaned properly, they can collect dirt, dust mites, stagnant water and other harmful pollutants that can the cause of bad smell each time you turn your air conditioner on. This problem can be resolved by replacing the filter with a new one and
maintaining a regular cleaning program that will protect it from accumulation of pollutants.

4. A leak in the cooling system
You should have a thorough checkup on your cooling system if you start experiencing funny smells from it. The smell is often caused by an antifreeze or liquid ethylene glycol which is toxic. The leak could be from any part of the cooling system such as the hose or pipe, heater core, the radiator and the coolant housing unit. The cause of the leak should be ascertained as soon as possible and repairs or a replacement initiated. This is the only way to deal with the annoying smell from your cooling system.

5. Water condensation
Whenever the air conditioning system is running, condensation develops in the evaporators housing. The dripping water resulting from condensation settles in the black case surrounding the housing. With time, the accumulation of water is what results in the funny and annoying smell. To deal with this problem, you can buy pressurized foam cans that are sprayed into the housing of the evaporator. The spraying cleans the inside part of the housing as well as the core. Before using the form cans, you will be required to drill a hole into the housing. The foam dissolves and leaks out of the housing once it is done with the cleaning process.

6. Overheating of the compressor
The compressor is considered to be the heart of the unit. Overheating can result in a breakdown especially when it results in leakages. The leakages are what majorly results in the funny aircon sour smell. Such cases can only be solved by replacing the whole compressor. However, if the damage caused in the AC unit is a major threat, the whole condensing unit has to be replaced. This is quite expensive but has to be done since this is the only way to ensure the smell disappears. There are many aircon centers in Singapore that will help you in solving the problems with your air conditioning. They can diagnose the major cause and advise you on the best way to repair them.