Air Conditioning

How Do You Develop a Musty AC and How Do You Fix It?

Homeowners with quality air conditioners can be thankful. It's great to close the door and settle in to the cool interior of your home while the outdoors sizzles and your air conditioner cools. But sometimes, things can go wrong, and one common problem is signaled by a musty smell coming from your AC. It's not something that should be ignored. In fact, it may mean there's mold or mildew colonizing your air conditioner. Read on to learn what to do about a musty AC. 

Smells Coming from a Musty AC

The environment inside your HVAC system is very damp. The AC draws the home's air across the indoor evaporator coils, where the moisture in the air condenses. From there, the moisture is directed into the drain line and the drain pan. If this drain line gets clogged — and it can — or if the drain pan gets plugged up and the pan spills over, your AC may become overwhelmed with moisture it can't get rid of. From that point, your HVAC could become a haven for mold or mildew, turning it into a musty AC for sure.

Then, as your AC blows cool air through the vents, you're likely to get a telltale whiff of mold or mildew. It's also possible mold or mildew could colonize your air ducts.

A plug or obstruction in the drain line or pan may occur through a buildup of bacteria. Over time, this bacteria and other impurities such as dust and dirt that flow along with the condensation build up into sludge and form a plug that may obstruct the flow of condensation through the condensate drain.

Scheduling regular maintenance every spring can help prevent these obstructions. Generally, a service tech will pour bleach or some other cleaner into the drain line and pan to flush it out and prevent obstructions. The tech should also check the state of your pan and the drain line to make sure they are in good shape and that they're without rust or holes so that they can function properly when it comes to removing condensation.

More questions about a musty AC? Contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.