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My 7 month American Standard 15 or 16 seer unit started producing a chemical smell its first winter that occures periododically. It is so bad that I start lifting windows for fresh air(even while it was snowing). Myself and family members now have sinus problelms. When I switch it to em. heat while the smell is being produced.. the smell stops. My contractor asked if it smelled like dirty socks...can't really put my finger on that smell, but I told him it smells like chemicals or a metal smell. Is this DSS? Thanks, FTL
Dear FLT:
Oh, you definitely have the "DSS", same as mine, an American Standard is a Trane in disguise, which doesn't matter, this syndrome crosses all mfg. lines. Just seems to depend what I believe to be on how "hot" the coil in the air handler gets, after watching ours carefully, the colder it is outside, the cooler the coil is naturally inside, typical of a heat pump, therefore the little "bugs" don't get a chance to proliferate as much. Soon as it gets milder, i.e. in the 30's to 40's here in Ohio, as soon as she goes into defrost mode, Katie bar the door, or as you say, open the windows. My wife has a bionic nose, and it really bugs her bad. An earlier poster was able to get Trane to replace his coil with a coated one, and seems to be doing OK. Therefore I've been in contact with my contractor for the same results. Said they'd be out in the next week. Time will tell. That's usually 90% of the battle, getting the mfg. to stand behind these products, which they really have little fault with in a sense, except for making such an efficient coil (over previous models) that it is now resulting in this issue. Keep me posted, would like to know what part of the country you are in too.
Please know that I am no expert, but is it necessary to replace BOTH coils? I thought just the air handler coil would need replacing with coated coil.
To my knowledge, just the air handler coil needs replaced/coated. That's where the stink is coming from when the unit "reverses" in defrost, blowing all that cold air over the bacteria that have been living on an otherwise warm coil during regular heat pump heating mode. Do not let your contractor dupe you into thinking it's the heat strips, 'cause it is not. That's a different odor, usually only during the first one or two uses to burn off "summer dust".
Dear twrenn'
I live in Virginia. Now that we have determined that the unit has SFS, my installer has agreed to replace the coil with a coated one. He has informed me that the technician he spoke with has informed him that a previous "batch" of coated coils have a problem. The coils have started to leak Freon after about 2 years of use. He wants to wait until the new batch has been manufactured before replacement. These coils are dipped in Texas..not Florida. Not sure if there is a difference in the process between the two. My installer is first rate and has been nothing but helpful. Here's to running the heat pump on emergency heat a little longer. Would love to hear from someone who has had a coated coil replaced for a long period of time and hear what the results have been.[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]
Dear FLT:
Oh, you definitely have the "DSS", same as mine, an American Standard is a Trane in disguise, which doesn't matter, this syndrome crosses all mfg. lines. Just seems to depend what I believe to be on how "hot" the coil in the air handler gets, after watching ours carefully, the colder it is outside, the cooler the coil is naturally inside, typical of a heat pump, therefore the little "bugs" don't get a chance to proliferate as much. Soon as it gets milder, i.e. in the 30's to 40's here in Ohio, as soon as she goes into defrost mode, Katie bar the door, or as you say, open the windows. My wife has a bionic nose, and it really bugs her bad. An earlier poster was able to get Trane to replace his coil with a coated one, and seems to be doing OK. Therefore I've been in contact with my contractor for the same results. Said they'd be out in the next week. Time will tell. That's usually 90% of the battle, getting the mfg. to stand behind these products, which they really have little fault with in a sense, except for making such an efficient coil (over previous models) that it is now resulting in this issue. Keep me posted, would like to know what part of the country you are in too.
I'm wondering if there is a correlation between systems in first floor utility rooms (houses on slabs or crawl spaces and systems in basements? Just curious. Would help people to know whether to try the coated coils or look elsewhere for any smell problems.
I am looking for some follow up info on how your coated coils are doing? Did anyone have the "all aluminum coil" Trane has (on the evaporator coil in the air handler, not outside)? Thanks in advance for any input!!!
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