Why do my vents smell like propane?

Are you noticing strange odours coming from your ducted heating system? If yes, it is imperative you have it checked by a professional because there are no situations where the smell coming from a heating system is unimportant. Sometimes, heating system smells are an indicator of a major problem within the system. Therefore, you cannot make the mistake of ignoring them.

Many homes in Melbourne have ducted heating because they are more energy-efficient and eco-friendly – they produce only ⅓ of the greenhouse gas emissions compared to electrical heating systems. But these ultimate climate control and comfort-providing systems can often make unpleasant smells. So instead of simply thinking that the smell will go away, it is crucial to identify the source of the nauseating odour and fix it as quickly as possible.

Read More: What is Ducted Heating System and Pros & Cons of Ducted Heating System.

A ducted heating system may produce a bad odour due to a variety of reasons. One of them is that it may need to be cleaned. Another is that it could be due to a leaking connection. Let’s take a look at common reasons why a ducted heating system produces smell:

REASON #1: Gas Leak

A gas leak has a similar smell to “rotten” eggs because natural gas is odourless and a chemical is added to detect gas leakage easily. The smell could be due to failing components or issues with the pipework. It usually happens because of lack of ducted heating system maintenance.

If you smell gas coming from the heating system, it is crucial that you open all the windows and switch the system off immediately. Instead of trying to fix it yourself, you need to call your local ducted heating system professional and it would be best to leave your home as soon as possible.

REASON #2: Mould and Mildew

If you notice stale air coming from your heating system, it could be most likely due to mould and mildew that have developed inside the system and the ductwork. Given that ducted heating systems create warm environments, the ductwork becomes ideal for mould and mildew to grow.

You may want to check the ductwork and other parts of the house to look for signs of fungus growth. If you notice small patches, you can eliminate them by adding one-quarter of a tablespoon of baking soda in a water bottle and spraying it onto affected areas before using a scrub brush to remove the fungus. However, if you notice large amounts of mould in the ductwork or other parts of the house, you must call in a professional because cleaning them without proper equipment and mask could lead to respiratory problems.

REASON #3: Clogged Filter

Dust starts to settle on heating components of the system if you don’t use it for several months. When you do use it, the dust burns off to create a burning dust smell. The smell of burning dust is common and not a cause of concern. However, if the smell persists, it could be due to a clogged air filter. It could also be due to the dirty heating components of the system. All of this can be prevented with scheduled maintenance and cleaning of the system.

REASON #4: Burned Out Components

A burning smell coming from the system indicates that some of the heating components of the ducted heating unit have burned out. If you notice a burning smell, quickly turn off the system as it could lead to costly repairs. This is a serious problem, and you must avoid fixing the system yourself. Instead, call a ducted heating expert to inspect the system and diagnose the root cause of the problem and which component needs to be replaced. You can avoid this with regular service of the heating system at least once a year.

REASON #5: Overheating

A metallic smell coming from a gas ducted heating system indicates that one of the components or the entire unit is overheating. In some cases, overheating causes an odour similar to the burning of plastic or rubber. If you notice a metallic smell, make sure to turn off the heating system as soon as possible. Don’t turn it off in hopes that the problem will go away. Instead, call your HVAC expert for an inspection.

REASON #6: Dead Animals

Although this problem may seem small, not fixing it could make your life inside your home a living hell. Animals crawl into ducts and die. Before you know it, their corpses start to rot and the stench begins to spread around the house. Given that the rotting smell won’t pass away too easily, you need to call local ductwork cleaning specialists to remove the corpse and clean the ductwork of any decaying body fluids.

Benefits of Ducted Heating Service

While nothing can beat the comfort of ducted heating in the chilly Melbourne winter months, you may not fully enjoy the benefits of this amazing heating system without scheduling regular maintenance. Here is why ducted heating service is important.

• It makes the heating more energy-efficient and helps it function more smoothly and effortlessly
• It prevents carbon monoxide leakage (a highly harmful byproduct created by appliances that run on natural gas)
• Cleans air filters to ensure you breathe clean air
• Prevents any potential problems that may cause bad odours and damage to the system
• Ensures the system lasts longer

Most homeowners who complain about bad smells coming from their ducted heating system have a history of not scheduling regular service of their heating systems. As prevention is better than a smelly home, we recommend you schedule a ducted heating service from a trusted local HVAC contractor.

Read More: Tips To Hiring An HVAC Contractor.

At ComfyHome, our professionally trained and highly experienced technicians are available to offer ducted heating installation, service, repair, and replacement services to our esteemed customers in Melbourne. So if you want to avoid a smelly home, costly repair or even complete replacement of your ducted heating system, schedule a service today by contacting us.

If your air conditioner smells like gas, mildew, urine, or other unpleasantries, you’d be wise to take a closer look. In this post, we’ll explore some of the common explanations for odd smells as well as what you ought to do.

We’ll tackle this topic by taking a look at each smell individually.

Air Conditioner Smells Like Gas/Rotten Eggs

If your air conditioner smells like rotten eggs (which is perhaps the best way to describe a “gassy” smell), you are almost certainly dealing with a natural gas leak.

While natural gas itself is odorless, many utility companies add chemicals that smell like rotten eggs to the mix in order to help people easily identify a leak. This has been standard practice since 294 people died at a school in Texas during the 1930s as the result of a gas leak.

Despite this safety feature, natural gas explosions still happen regularly in the United States. Anything that produces a spark (such as your water heater’s pilot light) can cause the deadly ignition of natural gas in your home.

What To Do About It

Due to the severity of a gas leak, it’s absolutely imperative that you do the following if your air conditioner smells like rotten eggs.

1. Immediately open your home’s windows to dispel some of the gas
2. Promptly evacuate your home
3. Contact your gas company immediately and follow their instructions (which may include shutting off your home’s gas supply if this is possible)

If the smell is very strong and has been present for some time, consider skipping the first step and simply evacuate your home. Prolonged exposure to high levels of natural gas can cause loss of consciousness and even death.

Air Conditioner Smells Like Mildew

If your air conditioner smells like mildew, you’re experiencing what people often refer to as “dirty sock syndrome.” While this doesn’t represent something as drastic as an imminent explosion, it’s still quite bad for your health.

The smell is caused by a buildup of bacteria, moisture, and mold in your air conditioner. If your air conditioner is leaking water and you haven’t cleaned it out in a while, you’re very likely to encounter this problem.

What To Do About It

Of course, you don’t want to be breathing in air that’s been contaminated with bacteria such as mold. In severe instances, this can lead to coughing, wheezing, rashes, and other unpleasant symptoms.

Here are the steps you should take to remedy this issue.

1. Turn your AC off at the circuit breaker and thermostat.
2. Check your drain line for blockage and clear it if necessary.
3. Replace your air conditioner filter if it has gotten overly wet.
4. Vacuum your evaporator coil with a shop vac and then scrub it thoroughly using a bleach/water mixture.
5. Dry the evaporator coils with paper towels before running your shop vac over the area once more to get rid of any leftover moisture.
6. Reassemble the air conditioner and wash your hands. Make sure to dispose of any towels or sponges you used to clean the evaporator coil.

As you can see, this process is somewhat involved and requires at least some understanding of your air conditioner’s construction. If you require assistance and live in the Phoenix, Arizona area, contact us at American Home Water and Air. We’ve been providing servicing and installation of air conditioning in Phoenix for more than 30 years.

Air Conditioner Smells Like Urine

Does your air conditioner smell like a shady public bathroom?

How’s this for an unpleasant smell. If your air conditioner smells like urine, you are likely dealing with the mycotoxins produced by mold. This produces an ammonia-like smell that can be very strong and rather unpleasant.

Mold on its own won’t produce this odor; it’s the mycotoxins, which can actually be more harmful to breathe in than the mold itself.

What To Do About It

Follow the steps we mentioned above for giving your air conditioner a thorough clean. Given the severity of this issue, if you have a central air conditioner you’d be wise to have an expert inspect your ductwork. Mold and mycotoxins can sometimes make their way into your ducts, in which case simply cleaning the air conditioner won’t entirely solve the issue.

Air Conditioner Smells Like A Sewer

If your air conditioner smells like a sewer, there is likely a ruptured sewage line somewhere near your air conditioner or your ductwork. This results in a very unpleasant methane-like smell. High levels of methane can cause nausea, loss of consciousness, and other undesirable effects.

What To Do About It

1. Contact your plumbing company or municipal authorities to receive guidance on investigating the possible sewage rupture.
2. Call your HVAC servicing company for assistance with properly ridding your air conditioner and ducts of this smell.

Air Conditioner Smells Like Smoke

If your air conditioner smells like smoke, it could be one of several things.

On the severe side, you could have a fire somewhere in your home. Air conditioners circulate air throughout your home, so a fire in one room will produce smoke (and hence a smoky-smell) that then gets circulated to other parts of your home.

On the slightly less dire side, you could be dealing with an overheating motor. If your air conditioner hasn’t been adequately maintained, its bearings may have worn out. When this happens, the motor overheats and gives off a burning smell.

Lastly, your air conditioner may just be burning off some dust. This is normal; dust builds up inside your air conditioner over long periods of non-use. When you switch it back on, you’ll notice a slight burning odor for a few minutes before it dissipates.

What To Do About It

If you’re dealing with the first issue (fire in your home), your next steps should be obvious; get off your phone/computer and put the fire out or call 911!

The third issue requires no action from you. The dust will burn off on its own and the smoke smell will disappear within a few minutes.

To resolve the second issue, contact your HVAC repair company to fix the smoke coming out of the AC. They’ll need to replace your AC motor’s bearings (or whatever part has worn out). This should be an easy fix for any experienced HVAC technician.

Conclusion

Strange smells from your air conditioner can range in severity from dire to moderate risk. In all cases, however, strange smells warrant additional investigation. By following the steps above, you should have a clear idea of how to proceed.

If you need air conditioner replacement/installation/repair services in Phoenix, Arizona, give us at American Home Water and Air a call. We’ve been providing these services for more than 30 years and have a stellar reputation. We’ll get your air conditioner up and running — with no offensive smells — in no time!
You can also check our other articles on fixing common AC problems such as AC light blinking and many more