Why Does My AC Smell When I Turn It On?

There are many possibilities that could lead to your air conditioning smelling when in use. However, a common issue as to why your AC may be smelling when it’s on may just be problems with your ducts. Often times, your ducts can have build up from dust or mildew sucked in from the outside because of bad airflow.

It could be a number of issues, so the best and most accurate thing to do is to call a professional to come and check it and see what’s going on. We can do a full test on it for rust, mildew, or buildup, whatever it is and it would help to determine if it’s something simple or if you’d need to replace all of your equipment.

We also offer a lot of high end products that help to rid your home of airborne pathogens and particles such as the AirScrubber Plus. These additional products help with cleaning your air and may fix your smell issue all together.

Would Changing a Filter Help?

If you get a better filter, yes, because you are actually cleaning air. The higher the MERV rating for the filter you are using, the better the air quality is in your home. If you have pets at home or if you live near a dusty area or near a field, you may get more allergens due to your geographic location. It is a good idea to have the best air cleaners and filters so you can breathe healthy, pure air all year long.

The more buildup you have in your home, the more you want to clean the air in your home before you breathe it all in. Therefore, the better air products you have, the better air quality you are going to have in your home.

Can I Do Anything By Myself?

To be completely safe, other than going out and buying a better filter, no. The best bet is to get a better filtration system, which can only be installed by a licensed professional. These filtration systems are filter racks, PureAir systems, electronic cleaners, and others all benefit your air conditioning by improving its performance. Another reason a professional is necessary is because these products cannot be purchased by the average consumer in stores, they have to be purchased through us, a professional.

Regardless of your issue, a visual inspection will not give you a completely accurate analysis of your situation. You need to test it completely and to do so accurately, you would need the necessary equipment. Call Service Champions and we’ll get the job done right the first time out.

How Moisture Can Ruin Your AC Unit

Two main factors that many people do not realize are detrimental to the condition of your AC unit are dog urine and sprinklers. Dogs have a tendency to urinate on condensers. Your dog’s urine is very acidic so when they do urinate on the condensers, it has a very damaging reaction within the condenser deteriorating from the acidity. The deterioration spreads more and more each time your dog urinates. With the fins slowly disappearing, this creates less surface area for your air conditioning to work with, ultimately preventing your home to have maximum air conditioning usage.

Another common issue are sprinklers consistently hitting your condenser for years without your knowledge. These systems rust very easily inside. With constant contact with moisture and damage from the sun, your system will very easily wear down, preventing you from having the best conditioned air.

These are just a few common issues listed and there are a multitude of issues that could be wrong with the system so simply listing these would not be beneficial to your circumstance. The best way to figure out what is wrong is to have a professional come out and thoroughly examine your central air system.

Why Does My AC Rattle, Buzz, or Make Noises?

If you’re hearing the AC rattle, it’s going to be because there’s something wrong with it. There are many different reasons for rattling, whether the air conditioning is rusted out, something’s broken, or there is something inside of it (sticks, frogs, and lizards are just a few examples).

The rattling sound could also be indicative of issues with the vents, the ducts, the registers, the actual boots could be loose and or just broken and we could fix them or replace them. Boots are the parts located behind the register attached to the duct. Over time, these boots could come loose which causes air to not properly be dispersed throughout your home. The majority of customers are not able to pinpoint these exact issues and need a trained professional to come out and check it for them.

Your best bet as a homeowner, especially if you have a new home, is to have it completely evaluated to make the correct decisions during that time. If you are going to be living in this house for the next 15-20 years, you may want to make the investment up front rather than waiting two to three years down the road and living with these problems because they are only going to get progressively worse.

Why is My AC Loud Once I Turn it On?

For the most part, compressors generally produce noise the older they get. Naturally, the motors create more noise as they age. It could also be the compressor getting older and just requiring more electricity where the starting amps are higher. Usually air conditioners draw a high amperage upon start up. But once it gets running and reaches the cruising altitude, usually the noise goes away.

What you can purchase to typically eliminate these noises is a hard start kit. A hard start kit will draw the amp and the stress that the compressor goes under from a dead start. This is the same as if your car ran out of gas and you start pushing it. Those first couple of steps are going to be really hard. You may even find yourself grunting and making noise, but the minute you get those wheels turning, you’re going to start to cruise and you’re going to be fine and not making noises anymore.

If you still have noises produced after your air conditioning is already up and running from start position, it might just be the make and model of your air conditioner. Different air conditioners have different decibel ratings, so you can actually look and see what your air conditioner is and then you can compare to other quieter systems. Not all condensers and compressors are the same. Some are just generally quieter than others.