Our Central Air is stinking up the house - advice? (inexpensive, buy)

[Sassygirl18]

We have an AC issue...maybe you can give some advice?

When our central air is on, it stinks up the house like the basement - a really stinky basement smell.

Any suggestions on how to combat this problem? It's really a problem now that it's almost summer and our house is on the market!

Thanks for any tips...

[TexasHorseLady]

It sounds like you might need to have the air ducts cleaned, but it could also be a drip pan problem (depending on what kind of AC you have). You might just have the AC serviced (not a bad idea at the beginning of summer and putting the house on the market, anyway) and it might turn up the problem. You have been changing the filters regularly, right?

[Sassygirl18]

Hi

Hubby changes filters regularly. I'll pass on your other thoughts to hubby. He's going to focus on doing what's necessary to get this addressed this week.

Any other ideas, anyone?

[NCyank]

Are your ducts running through the crawlspace? You may have some gaps or holes in the ducts allowing air and moisture to get in the ducts. You'd need to not only clean the ducts but make any necessary repairs to prevent the smell from returning. You could be growing mold in your ducts!!

Is is possible that a small animal has gotten into your ducts? If something has died in there it would stink to high heaven...and then some. Again, you'd need to have the ducts cleaned and repaired.

[olecapt]

Any good AC guy should be able to diagnose and repair. I would almost bet on a non draining pan in the AC unit. If you are handy you can likely find it yourself. You are looking for standing water or such in the unit with the heat exchanger.

If it is not there you need an AC guy to check the duct work.

[In the Pines]

Besides cleaning the ducts, you can also have the unit cleaned fairly inexpensively where I live. Lots of mold in this humid environment. I don't know how humid it is where you live but you may want to consider have the unit cleaned as well.

[Sassygirl18]

Thanks for all your tips so far. I am passing these on to hubby. He said no to the question about ducts running through crawlspace.

I don't know if this will shed any more light in helping you to give me advice but the musty smell in the house when the AC is on is WAY STRONGER than the smell of the basement itself. When I walk down the basement, it has a slightly musty smell, but it's generally mild and certainly not overpowering. But the smell upstairs when that AC on is STRONG.

[middle-aged mom]

I don't know diddley about the AC but can tell you a musty smelling basement is a big turn-off to most buyers. Why not get a dehumidifier and use it.

[Sassygirl18]

Hi Middleaged mom

We have a dehumidifier running the basement and it's definitely made a big difference in the basement as far as moisture and smell. But it hasn't affected the problem with the AC smelling the house up.

[rubytue]

There is mold/mildew somewhere in your system. If it didn't do that in the winter, I would rule out the ducts and focus on the a/c unit. Like others said, a drip pan, or something else in the coils. Does you husband clean his own coils, too, or just the filter? If so, have him open it up and clean the coils - that should find problems. If not, call an a/c guy to come have it cleaned and tuned up. Generally a good idea anyway