Air Conditioning - Nasty Odor

when my air con is running, I have a foul smell coming out of my vents. Is there anywhere I can check for a possible source of this smell. thanks

when my air con is running, I have a foul smell coming out of my vents. Is there anywhere I can check for a possible source of this smell. thanks

Possible dead rodent in the ductwork? Not to belabor the obvious but have you checked your filters and the area around the fan?

I thought about something being in the air ducts. How do i clean that up if so? I have checked around the compressor outside but not inside it. Can i possibly clean it with bleach water? And thank you for your response to my posting.

Without a description of the 'foul odor,' it is difficult to provide advice. Is it a damp musty smell? Check for air leaks in the return ducts, especially if ducts are in a damp area such as crawlspace or damp basement. Check for water damage to the ducts or air handler itself.

Check to make sure your air filter is clean. If it is an electrical or burning smell, then it's time for a service call. If the odor smells like dirty socks or dead rodent, then the coil likely needs cleaning. Propane is often described as rodent odor. A service call is needed to determine if there is a leak.

Service persons tend to report that the most common source of odor is mold/mildew in supply pleanum, on cooling coil, or in drain pan. How long has it been since unit was cleaned?

I thought about something being in the air ducts. How do i clean that up if so? I have checked around the compressor outside but not inside it. ......

There is no connection between anything near or in the outside portion of your system and any odor inside the house.

Again, have you opened the place where your filters are located and where the squirrel cage fan is to see if there is anything in there? Thats the first place to check.

If there is something in the ductwork you can have a furnace company come clean them. But if its a dead rodent chances are by the time they get there it will be all dried up and the smell will quit.

I was recently watching one of the home improvement shows on TV and a bad smeel from the ductwork was a main item of concern with the unhappy homeowners. it turned out that the ductwork in the crawlspace was laying on the ground and there was a Plumbing leak and the duct had rusted thru and had filled with rank sewer water yup I guess it stunk bad. Nasty stuff and the bad part was that they had caused the problem themselves by doing a poor repair job of the plumbing drain system a few years back. They of course tore all the old duct and HVAC system out properly repaired the drain line and as far as anybody knows the homeowners are doing great now. Check your ductwork it may be full of rank nasty water and that is a health hazard so GITERDUN.

another thing it could be is the water pan may be getting a bacterial growth from stagnant water. make sure this is clear and not milky or slimey looking. if so drain,wash and o to the hardware store and get a couple packets of the chemical treatments that just sit in the pan. as water hits it, it will distribute the chemical throughout the rest of the pan.

If you have 6 or more kids in diapers at your house you might want to move the diaper pail and litter box away from in front of the return grille. Poopy diapers smell BAD