Bad smell when the air conditioner is turned on. If the air conditioner stinks How to get rid of the smell of the air conditioner in the apartment
CLEANING THE AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR (OWNERS' ADVICE)
Every owner of a car with air conditioning or climate control sooner or later faces the problem of an unpleasant smell when starting the air conditioner. Even if the interior of your car is not smoked, unpleasant odors still come from the evaporator. This is due to the fact that the moisture collected on the evaporator, at the time of its operation, is a factor contributing to the development of various bacteria, which, in turn, are the source of unpleasant breaths. By the way, the same is true for home split systems and air conditioners.
So:
Over time, all owners of air conditioners in cars ask the same question: what smells (stinks) in my car? Why is it that when the ignition is turned on, when the fan starts to work, a stream of far from incense beats in the face? Air conditioning services respond unambiguously in a coordinated manner: wash the evaporator (this is the thing that, one might say, produces cold: air passes through it and, cooling, blows in our face and legs). And they consistently name the price: $70-90. Although, the answer, which contains only part of the answer, is alarming. Together they respond that the procedure lasts 4 hours. All they could find out was:
1. The system is not disassembled.
2. Do not refill.
3. The client will immediately feel the difference.
What and how can they do during this time? Knowing our services, one and a half hours can be safely taken to accept the order and hand over the work to the client. It will take up to an hour to find a free box and roll back the car / roll it to the client. For half an hour, you can safely take the servicemen to prepare themselves for work and remove traces of dirty robes from car seats. There will be an hour. Well, maybe two. Since disinfection of the evaporator is required, it still needs to be reached. This is also the time - half an hour for those who know will be enough to get to the evaporator and return everything to its place. So the procedure itself is simple and short.
So what can you do to eliminate the smell?
Why in the summer, when we turn on the fan after the car has been parked in the sun or in the heat (especially after a short parking), a wave of smell hits the face, comparable to the one you felt when you opened the washing machine, in which the wet laundry you forgot a week ago lay?
First, about the origin, about the source of the smell.
When we turn off the engine, the air conditioner turns off. And the cold air ducts and the evaporator get humid hot air from the street. Getting on the cold parts of the air ducts and the evaporator, moisture instantly condenses from the air. And just water would be fine. The composition of moisture is wide. Moisture mixes with the dirt and dust in the system, moistens the mold, fungus and bacteria that inevitably reside there. Here is the scent for you. When the air conditioner is running, moisture is forcefully carried into the cabin and dries the air ducts. But some of it remains when the fan is turned off. And with each subsequent inclusion, moisture is added, multiplying colonies of bacteria. And over the years, the smell exceeds the tolerance threshold of our nose.
What to do to prevent the problem?
The first obvious answer is to keep the system dry by turning off the air conditioner if possible shortly before we arrive at the parking lot. This will allow the condensed moisture to be dried by a stream of warm air and reduce the subsequent condensation of moisture by raising the temperature of the ducts. But this will not solve the problem with the existing smell.
This suggests a solution to the problem, prompted by the services - disinfection. That is killing bacteria.
How to do this and how can services do it? It is clear that chlorine will solve all problems. But riding in a gas mask dramatically reduces the driver's view. Let's turn to medical institutions and ask how they disinfect everything that is supposed to be disinfected?
Answer: LISOL, it is also a soap-oil-based CRESOL solution. It is used to disinfect surgical instruments, hands before surgery, operating rooms and toilets, among other things! And also for the destruction of flies, the source of cholera, etc. What kind of a miracle is this, surpassing everything known (and even chlorine!) in its disinfecting properties? It's phenol. And it is on the basis of this phenol that professional preparations are produced for the disinfection of air conditioners in cars, schools, hospitals, motels, etc. And these professional products cost up to $40 for 12 pieces of 250 gram cans! Those. for 3 liters. For one car treatment, the manufacturer recommends using ½ can of the product. Well, let's say that services use one aerosol can for reliability. Further I am silent.
So what should we do?
1. Get LISOL concentrate or LISOL-containing solutions (they even come with odors!).
2. Dilute pure Lysol in a ratio of 1:100 (the surgical instrument is disinfected at 1:20) to obtain 300-400 ml. solution.
3. Pour the solution into a hand sprayer or an empty glass cleaner jar, add perfume if desired.
4. Open all windows in the car wide open.
5. Start the car, turn on the air conditioner at full power, turn on the fan as much as possible. Direct the jet of air in the passenger compartment to the face/legs by lowering the nozzles.
6. Get out of the car and spray the product from the sprayer into the air intake holes near the windshield. Try not to save and not to pour with a jet, namely to spray the fog: this should be done by a normal sprinkler. It was the disinfection of air ducts, which the services do not write about (they only talk about the evaporator).
7. Turn off the engine. We are waiting for about ten minutes - let Lysol lead an unequal battle for bacteria.
8. We start the engine (we did not touch the air conditioner and the fan - they start to work with might and main). Open the car on the passenger side. We turn on the internal air recirculation (close the access of air from the street). The windows are open. We spray, without stint, water dust under the passenger's feet, under the glove box (glove box). There is an air intake in the recirculation mode. Air enters the evaporator and goes further through the system. If possible, it would be nice to get to the evaporator itself and pour it abundantly. But even so it will go (with such and such a cost of the procedure and the possibility of regular repetition!). Switch off the ignition. If necessary (if you still smell), repeat every other day.
And that's it! We enjoy clean air.
By the way, this tool is even used to eliminate the smell from the grill in restaurants! All clean air!
A dirty evaporator is considered the main cause of an unpleasant smell from a car air conditioner. If it has not been washed for a long time, then bacteria that form on it may be the cause of the smell. After reading the post, you will learn how to fix it yourself at home.
Colonies of bacteria appear in the air conditioner device due to the constant circulation of cold and hot air. If after a long operation the air conditioner is turned off, cold air from the street enters its main part after active work. Such air creates condensate, which is removed through the drainage pipes, but already its appearance is enough to become a good place for the formation of bacteria.
They are the reason for the smell. Working while the car is driving, the air conditioner, namely its main part, the evaporator, heats up. After turning off the air conditioner, cold air from the street enters it. Interacting with the heated part, the air settles as moisture, as a result of which colonies of bacteria appear on it. The smell from them can be both weak and strong, but it always smells like the smell of a damp rag left for several days in a locked place.
Such condensate from mold and bacteria makes itself felt, starting to smell the next time the air conditioner is turned on, filling the cabin with unpleasant humid and stale air. During the operation of the device, the air outlets are dried, and direct access to neoplasms is opened, which are the cause of the smell.
Elimination with the help of chemistry
To solve the problem of stale air, at best, it is possible to properly operate the cooling device. By turning it off before stopping, you allow the system to air out, and already in the car park, your air conditioner will be waiting for the next turn on dry and clean. But this approach does not always solve the problem completely, and the minus of it is that you must sacrifice your comfort by not exploiting the capabilities of your car to the fullest.
Another way to get rid of colonies of harmful bacteria is to disinfect the interior on time or periodically, and most importantly, the air conditioner with an evaporator. Typically, bleach is used to disinfect taps and any other products. But for a car, this cleaning method is hardly suitable, although bleach is a very strong reagent, you will have to use it in a respirator or even a gas mask. Agree that there are more practical and convenient disinfection methods these days, and using chlorine to clean your vehicle's air vents is a bit of a misnomer.
The best option for flushing the vaporizer is a product that can be advised in any pharmacy or medical institution. Moreover, they are even used to disinfect medical devices. The tool is called cresol, it does not have a strong third-party smell, they clean instruments before surgery, medical gloves, and it kills a large number of bacteria of various types, including cholera. Cresol is the name of its main constituent agent, lysol, which is diluted with a soapy-oily liquid.
The disinfectant properties of cresol are very strong, and the reason is the active element phenol. It is the main ingredient in formulations that are used to disinfect vehicles. Professional cleaning of air conditioners in cars, hotels and educational institutions is carried out by professional means, which can sometimes be expensive. A package of such a product can last for a long time, and very little of this composition may be required to clean the air conditioning system of the machine.
Flushing the evaporator
Flushing the evaporator is carried out in several stages. These steps should be done in sequence, and the result is a completely new evaporator and air conditioning system that will not smell, and will fill the interior with clean, fresh air without staleness and bacteria.
- First you need to buy a cleaning agent, namely Lysol. If it is not, then you can find any other composition containing this drug. You can also buy a concentrated liquid based on Lysol.
- The composition is diluted in water in accordance with 1 to 100, and 300-400 milliliters of the product should be enough.
- Pour the cleaning liquid into a bottle or spray bottle. Seal the sprayer bottle and add some essential oil - this way the work will be done simply and with the smell that you like.
- We open the windows of the car and the hatch wide open - a constant supply of fresh air from the street is necessary for work.
- We turn on the ignition, and with it the air conditioner and fan. We direct the air outlet nozzles to the area of \u200b\u200bthe legs or face
- A solution is sprayed into the air intake hole, it is advisable to do this not in a jet and not in large portions. But at the same time, you should not save money, because Lysol must get inside and fight bacteria. It is best to create large clouds of small drops of cleaning fluid.
- By turning off the engine, we allow the solution to perform its task inside the air conditioning system.
- After some time, we turn on the system again, and spray the rest of the solution inside the cabin. If all the steps are followed correctly, clean air will soon begin to circulate in the cabin again.
The frequency of use of the air conditioner directly affects the appearance of bacteria. Operating conditions in this matter play an important role. A dusty country road is much worse displayed on the state of the condenser than the urban appearance of smooth asphalt. And, of course, cleaning the condenser at the service greatly extends the service life and proper operation of the air conditioning system.
Since no one can tolerate an unpleasant smell, it is best to protect yourself from its appearance in advance. The result of the correct operation of the air conditioner will never bring trouble to the driver in the cabin. The first signs of its contamination are best removed immediately, and if you feel that soon your interior will be filled not with fragrances, but with stale air, a little prevention will not hurt. It is best to turn off the air conditioner while driving, namely, a couple of minutes before stopping. Ventilated with fresh air already without heating and cooling, the air conditioner will cool down by the time it stops, and there will be no problems the next time it is started. This approach will reduce the number of cleanings and extend the driving time with its use by several weeks or even a month.
Disinfection should be carried out with the doors open and even the hatch, because by ventilating the interior with the engine running, you will protect yourself from moisture residue and unpleasant odors.
Simultaneously with the cleaning of the heater, the entire volume of the body of your car is ventilated.
Re-disinfection is carried out inside the cabin. Thus, Lysol completely kills all bacteria, allowing you not to return to this problematic topic anymore. When spraying the solution into the air intakes, it is necessary to monitor its quantity. It is impossible to send a jet of solution into the air vents and at the same time it cannot be saved much. The solution must fully interact with the moisture and bacteria accumulated inside the air-cleaning system.
Video “We eliminate the unpleasant smell from the car air conditioner”
On the record, the motorist shows how to properly clean the air conditioner evaporator at home.
An unpleasant smell from the air conditioner sometimes appears after a long break in its operation. Where does it come from and can you get rid of the problem yourself?
To find the cause, first try to determine what it smells like. An old wet rag? Sewerage? Mold? Burnt insulation? Or is the bad smell from the air conditioner not like any of the smells you know?
Experts identify three reasons for the appearance of an unpleasant odor:
- Mold and bacteria. This is the most common cause of bad breath. These pests appear inside not at all because of someone else's fault. It's just that the temperature of the evaporator is always lower than the ambient temperature, which is why condensation is guaranteed to appear on it. Under normal conditions, it is removed from the system through drainage tubes, but before that it has time to contact the environment, which is far from sterile. This is how bacteria and mold grow in the air conditioner. And if the device has not been turned on for a long time, then the “golden time” comes for them: it is warm and damp in the device - an ideal environment for reproduction.
- Accumulation in parts and filters of ambient aromas. The fact is that many air conditioners do not use the air from the street, but cool the one that is already in the room. As a result, odors accumulate and are released back in a concentrated form. The culprits for the appearance of unpleasant odors can be some types of plastic, detergents, tobacco smoke.
- Drainage without siphon. Sometimes moisture from the air conditioner is removed not to the street, but to the sewer. If a siphon was not used during installation, then all the "charm" of the sewers can break out, filling your apartment. This is a problem of improper installation, it will have to be fixed.
Sometimes (with a long idle time) the moisture from the siphon evaporates, and it can no longer protect the room from extraneous odors. In this case, you just need to turn on the air conditioner and give it a little time so that the new condensate has time to fill the tube.
How to deal with bad air conditioner odor
All methods of cleaning the air conditioner come down to one thing: wash mold and other dirt, disinfect parts and dry them thoroughly. To do this, it is advisable to disassemble it yourself or call for help from specialists. If the smell is still barely audible, you can try to eliminate it without disassembling the split system. True, such measures will give only a temporary effect.
Dry thoroughly
In some models, the fan does not turn off immediately: this is how the air conditioner gets rid of excess condensate on its own. If there is no such function, try to turn on the fan a few minutes before the device turns off completely. This will be an excellent prevention of mold.
disinfect
There are special disinfectants for air conditioners. Usually they need to be sprayed where the device takes air for cooling. Together with the air flow, the drops of the solution penetrate into the drainage system, where they destroy the fungus and pathogenic bacteria. If the stagnation of water is small, this is enough to completely eliminate the smell from the air conditioner. Chlorhexidine is most often used - an antiseptic drug that is used to treat the surgical field and the surgeon's hands, treat rooms and sterilize instruments. Chlorhexidine destroys various bacteria, protozoa, viruses and spores. After treatment, it remains on the surface in a certain amount, continuing to give a bactericidal effect.
Disassemble and clean
It is not necessary to call a master if you have even small technical skills, because in fact there is nothing complicated there. However, if you are not friends with technology at all, you will have to part with a certain amount, otherwise the smell from the air conditioner will not let you enjoy the coolness
How to clean your home air conditioner
Do-it-yourself air conditioner cleaning is a simple procedure. Even if you are not particularly versed in technology and prefer not to interfere in its work, it will not be difficult for you to clean the filters of the indoor unit. It is recommended to do this at least once a month, and if the air is very dirty or there is an allergic person at home, then 1-2 times a week. Agree - so often it will not work to call specialists.
What happens if you don't clean the filters
If you cannot clean the air conditioner with your own hands and do not want to use the services of special centers, be prepared for the consequences:
- the air will stop cooling properly;
- the radiator of the indoor unit will be poorly blown;
- the refrigeration system will not work properly;
- the drainage system becomes dirty;
- Cleaning the appliance will be difficult, as too much dirt will settle on the filters.
As a result of all this, a favorable environment for mites and mold is formed inside the air conditioner, and an appropriate smell will appear from the system. Who wants to endure all this at home? It is much easier to clean the air conditioner in time.
How to clean filters
Cleaning air conditioner filters is the simplest procedure that you can do yourself. Of course, different models have their own characteristics, but most devices have a similar device. It is better to clean the filters as indicated in the instructions, but if it is not there, use our tips:
- gently open the top cover of the indoor unit;
- take out the air filter;
- if there is little dust, you can clean it with a vacuum cleaner;
- if the dirt has turned into a crust and does not go away, you can gently rinse the filter under running water. Just don't rub it too hard and don't use household cleaning products;
- dry the filter;
- turn on the air conditioner in fan mode and spray a special cleaner and disinfectant in the air intake area;
- wipe the blinds with a damp cloth or wash them under running water;
- assemble the electrical appliance.
Important: disposable air-purifying filters against odors and harmful microorganisms cannot be washed - they must be changed periodically.
How to clean the heat exchanger
You can also use a vacuum cleaner to clean the air conditioner heat exchanger. Sometimes dirt accumulates so much that cleaning is only possible with a special steam cleaner. Doing it yourself is not recommended, as there is a risk of damage to internal parts. The heat exchanger is usually located either immediately under the cover or behind the filter (in the case of a dual air purification system).
Air conditioning, in my opinion, is simply necessary in the apartment, because in summer it can be unbearably hot. To endure the heat is not only unpleasant, but also harmful to health. But there are ardent opponents of air conditioners who believe that this device is harmful. There is some truth in this statement, because dust and bacteria accumulate in the air conditioner, a stream of air directed at a person can contribute to more frequent colds and back pain. But to avoid this, you just need to follow a few rules.
1. The air conditioner should be installed correctly and the blades should be directed correctly so that the air does not blow on the bed, sofa or workplace, then you can not be afraid of the influence of the air conditioner on the frequency of colds and back pain.
2. It is desirable that the temperature difference in the street and in the room does not exceed 10 degrees. If for some reason you do not go out during the day, this rule can be ignored.
3. If you have a weak immune system (namely, in this case, you are more likely to get sick under the air conditioner), get an air purifier and put it in front of the air conditioner.
Over time, the air conditioner begins to stink during operation. When I just installed the air conditioner, the installer promised that this would not happen if on time, i.e. once every 2 weeks, wash the removable filters and once a year call the masters to clean and refuel the air conditioner. Alas, the air conditioner did not agree with these settings. After about 9 months after installation, it began to whine.
The cause of an unpleasant odor can be a clogged drainage system if installed incorrectly, as a result, water accumulates and microorganisms accumulate.
So, if you have an unpleasant smell from the air conditioner, you must first of all carry out another preventive maintenance and check if there are any reasons for stagnant water. I called service, the guys checked everything, assured me that everything was fine, advised me to use chlorhexidine. I tried - it helps.
4. Remove and wash the removable filters every two weeks.
5. Periodically (I do this once a month) after removing the removable filters, spray the "insides" of the air conditioner with 0.05% chlorhexidine (chlorhexidine bigluconate). Also open the lower blades and spray behind them (it is better not to close the blades later with your hands - they will automatically fall into the desired position after turning on the air conditioner). At the same time, the air conditioner should be turned off, you can turn it on after 20-30 minutes, preferably in the dehumidification mode. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic drug that is used to treat the surgical field and the surgeon's hands, treat rooms and sterilize instruments, wash wounds and prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Chlorhexidine destroys various bacteria, protozoa, viruses and spores. After treatment, it remains on the surface in a certain amount, continuing to give a bactericidal effect.
I do not dilute chlorhexidine with water, I use the ready-made solution that is sold in pharmacies. The use of hard water reduces the bactericidal properties of chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine does not damage plastic, does not harm the skin (if it accidentally gets on it).
After the first spray, the air conditioner smelled even more than usual. But after a short time, the smell disappeared. The second time I sprayed two weeks later. Then I realized that you can do it less often. Now I spray once a month, although the pronounced smell does not appear by this time.
There are special aerosol cleaners for cleaning air conditioners, but they are much more expensive, and contain the same chlorhexidine.
6. And the last method is my favorite. Wiping the dust on the air conditioner as usual, I looked behind the moving blades at the bottom of the air conditioner. It turns out that a lot of dirt has accumulated inside. However, nothing surprising: the device works and attracts dust. That's the reason for the smell! Perhaps these blades are removed, but I did not do this. I opened the blades and carefully (!) placed a rather large microfiber cloth inside. Then, with a long needle, she gently began to wipe the bottom, back and top of the ribbed movable shaft (probably some kind of charcoal filter, so it's important not to damage it and not erase all the charcoal). After this procedure, the smell disappeared completely. Now, even without spraying, there is no smell three months after harvesting. I’m also going (too lazy) to clean with ear sticks (and maybe with a wet toothbrush) in every slot that I can get to (I recommend turning off the air conditioner from the mains on the electrical panel). And do not forget to turn on the dehumidification mode for a while after wet treatment of the air conditioner.
After a few months of operation, users detect an odor when they turn on the air conditioner at home. It is unpleasant and discourages the desire to use technology. Such owners are very interested in: how to get rid of the smell of the air conditioner?
Why there is an unpleasant odor
It is normal for new appliances to have a slight smell of plastic. It fades after a few days. But the fetid smell from the air conditioner, reminiscent of fumes from a cloth forgotten in the corner, which stinks - this is a consequence of the accumulation of microorganisms in the internal module. A heat exchanger is located here, which is always cooler than the air temperature in the room. Therefore, moisture accumulates on metal tubes and smells bad. Together with the air from the room, dust particles and microorganisms enter the housing. Once on a wet surface, they enter a favorable environment. And they start to develop. Mold, fungus and dirt - that's what the owner will see inside. An unpleasant smell from the air conditioner signals a danger to the health of the residents of the apartment and house.
Sometimes owners are bothered by a fetid smell when the air conditioner is turned on. This is explained by the fact that during the period of inactivity, mold spores are concentrated in the body, which are blown out with the first jets of air. Thus, the first way to get rid of the smell of the air conditioner is to disinfect the contents of the indoor unit.
The air conditioner can serve as a kind of “concentrator” of room odors. This is especially noticeable in apartments with new furniture. Molecules of substances accumulate inside the case. Therefore, a specific smell appears when the air conditioner is turned on.
air conditioner drain
Sometimes condensate from the housing does not flow out into the street, but into the sewer system of the house. In such cases, it is simply necessary to install a siphon for an anti-odor air conditioner. It prevents the penetration of gases from the sewer pipes into the apartment. Some owners, trying to save money, bend the drain hose into an S and make it look like a siphon. But the use of such a design threatens to leak from the indoor unit.
The smell from the air conditioner can penetrate even through the siphon. This happens when the equipment has not been used for a long time and the water in the siphon dries up. Owners need to monitor and add it on time.
An anti-odor air conditioner siphon is one of the effective methods of getting rid of a problem. It is also installed in cases where water from the drainage pipe is discharged near busy places (porch, entrance).