What the heck is that smell?

JakeCK

Well it's that time of year again, I just put in my largest window shaker, 14k BTU, today since we're supposed to stay well into the 80's for as far as the forecast goes and the annoying smell it has had since it was new is still there. This isn't a mold smell, at first I thought maybe just a new window ac smell from the plastic or something but it's going on three summers now. WTH

I kid you not the best way to describe this smell is a certain weed that people like to toke up. I'm being 100% serious it has that very faint smell. When this thing runs I'm seriously worried people are going to walk in and think we're a bunch of pot heads. :S 

Also is it just me or do these things get heavier every year? I used to have one of those massive behemoths that had the sleeve that went into the window first. When I was 22 I could carry that thing up from the basement by my self. Not the smartest idea but I could do it with out complaint. When I got rid of it three years ago it was a minimum 2 man job for me. And this newer, much lighter one, is questionable by my self. Lol

EdTheHeaterMan

As far as getting heavier with age, I'm with you on that! but it is better than the alternative (for now)... And that smell is due to the manufacturing process... Seem that since there is a labor shortage these factories are allowing long haired freaky people to apply.

Steamhead

EdTheHeaterMan said:

As far as getting heavier with age, I'm with you on that! but it is better than the alternative (for now)... And that smell is due to the manufacturing process... Seem that since there is a labor shortage these factories are allowing long haired freaky people to apply.

But, do you know what song that line appeared in?

JUGHNE

Signs, signs everywhere there are signs, included in the song.

Imagine that, me working for you!

Then when it came to the "No Trespassing" signs, I never thought much about any of that.

But now being a taxpayer (for many years) I would tell him to get the Hell away....it is obvious he never owned land and paid taxes.

EdTheHeaterMan

Steamhead said:

But, do you know what song that line appeared in?

I remember when that song was on American Top 40 with Casey Kasem. I was a freshman in high school that year. It made The Five Man Electric Band famous in USA and Canada and earned them a Gold Record for this hit single. Signs

I also remember a spoof recording of this song where the lead singer was yelling about a No Trespassing Sign when the front door opened and the owner shot him with a very loud BANG and the music stopped abruptly.

So much for disobeying that sign! LOL

ChrisJ

JakeCK said:

Well it's that time of year again, I just put in my largest window shaker, 14k BTU, today since we're supposed to stay well into the 80's for as far as the forecast goes and the annoying smell it has had since it was new is still there. This isn't a mold smell, at first I thought maybe just a new window ac smell from the plastic or something but it's going on three summers now. WTH

I kid you not the best way to describe this smell is a certain weed that people like to toke up. I'm being 100% serious it has that very faint smell. When this thing runs I'm seriously worried people are going to walk in and think we're a bunch of pot heads. :S 

Also is it just me or do these things get heavier every year? I used to have one of those massive behemoths that had the sleeve that went into the window first. When I was 22 I could carry that thing up from the basement by my self. Not the smartest idea but I could do it with out complaint. When I got rid of it three years ago it was a minimum 2 man job for me. And this newer, much lighter one, is questionable by my self. Lol

I've seen it where an evaporator stinks the first time it gets wet for a while. Seems to happen a lot in cars etc.

However, I wouldn't expect you to smell anything outside at all?
It smells like skunk outside? Did you have a visitor spray near by?

R134 and R410 have no odor that I'm aware of.


Best guess.......your wife / GF has had enough of your sh.....baloney and was toking up for some relief.

mattmia2

ChrisJ said:

R134 and R410 have no odor that I'm aware of.

R22 definitely has a chemical solvent sort of odor, not sure about R134a and R410a.

JakeCK

ChrisJ said:

Well it's that time of year again, I just put in my largest window shaker, 14k BTU, today since we're supposed to stay well into the 80's for as far as the forecast goes and the annoying smell it has had since it was new is still there. This isn't a mold smell, at first I thought maybe just a new window ac smell from the plastic or something but it's going on three summers now. WTH

I kid you not the best way to describe this smell is a certain weed that people like to toke up. I'm being 100% serious it has that very faint smell. When this thing runs I'm seriously worried people are going to walk in and think we're a bunch of pot heads. :S 

Also is it just me or do these things get heavier every year? I used to have one of those massive behemoths that had the sleeve that went into the window first. When I was 22 I could carry that thing up from the basement by my self. Not the smartest idea but I could do it with out complaint. When I got rid of it three years ago it was a minimum 2 man job for me. And this newer, much lighter one, is questionable by my self. Lol

I've seen it where an evaporator stinks the first time it gets wet for a while. Seems to happen a lot in cars etc. However, I wouldn't expect you to smell anything outside at all? It smells like skunk outside? Did you have a visitor spray near by? R134 and R410 have no odor that I'm aware of. Best guess.......your wife / GF has had enough of your sh.....baloney and was toking up for some relief.

Smell is inside the house. Outside is fine. Lol

And if it was leaking refrigerant I would expect it to not work very well anymore after 2+ years.

EdTheHeaterMan

I would suspect the plastic or insulation is the source of the odor. You might try a spray on cleaner deodorizer. The only parts that are exposed indoors are the front cover, the evap. coil, the fan & housing and the small ducting that connects the evap. coil to the air outlet. Sometimes that ducting is foam insulated, and other times it is fiberglass insulation that can absorb and hold odors. Spray deodorant with a microbial neutralizer can help. Duct cleaning companies use them all the time as a last step in the duct cleaning process. https://www.amazon.com/SimpleAir-Duct-Fresh-Spray-32/dp/B00YUPCIDI

mattmia2

Maybe there is a rubber or synthetic rubber bushing that is getting cooked somehow. Also worth a look in the control panel to see if something like a power resistor or heat sink is touching and cooking something or if a wire has a bad termination and it overheating.

EdTheHeaterMan

I would suspect the plastic or insulation is the source of the odor. You might try a spray on cleaner deodorizer. The only parts that are exposed indoors are the front cover, the evap. coil, the fan & housing and the small ducting that connects the evap. coil to the air outlet. Sometimes that ducting is foam insulated, and other times it is fiberglass insulation that can absorb and hold odors. Spray deodorant with a microbial neutralizer can help. Duct cleaning companies use them all the time as a last step in the duct cleaning process. https://www.amazon.com/SimpleAir-Duct-Fresh-Spray-32/dp/B00YUPCIDI

ChrisJ

I still think it was the ol lady toking up.

We all know Jake. Admit it, it's very plausible.




@mattmia2 Yeah there is an odor, but it's not like SO2.....

ethicalpaul

Time for a mini-split, get that window back

JakeCK

ethicalpaul said:

Time for a mini-split, get that window back

I'm holding out hope that I'll install an a2w HP and can use fan coils. I hate the wall warts that are mini splits. 

JakeCK

ChrisJ said:

I still think it was the ol lady toking up. We all know Jake. Admit it, it's very plausible. @mattmia2 Yeah there is an odor, but it's not like SO2.....

Common now, I'm not that bad. This is just my internet persona. 

Besides the smell is most notable after we have been out of the house for a while. So unless someone is breaking in and toking up while we're all away...

mattmia2

Maybe try some coil cleaner if it is worse after it has been sitting. Maybe it is some sort of bacteria or fungus.

mattmia2

Oh, and there are mini split cassettes that aren't wall hung now, ones that recess in a ceiling and others that can remote with short duct runs.

JakeCK

That's just it, it has had this smell since day one fresh out of the box. It is actually not as noticable anymore but it's still there especially when you have been out of the room for a bit. 

EdTheHeaterMan

At the risk of repeating myself:
Try this https://www.amazon.com/SimpleAir-Duct-Fresh-Spray-32/dp/B00YUPCIDI

EBEBRATT-Ed

Take it apart and clean the coil and clean the inside. I had an 18000 years ago that I could pick up and carry some distance and slide it in the wall sleeve.

Now I have a 10,000 which I pulled out of a wall sleeve about a month ago, took some measurements and picked it up again and slid it back in no problem but my back hasn't been the same since. Used to do it with no issue.

I guess I don't want to believe I will be 70 in about 4 weeks

JakeCK

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

Take it apart and clean the coil and clean the inside. I had an 18000 years ago that I could pick up and carry some distance and slide it in the wall sleeve.

Now I have a 10,000 which I pulled out of a wall sleeve about a month ago, took some measurements and picked it up again and slid it back in no problem but my back hasn't been the same since. Used to do it with no issue.

I guess I don't want to believe I will be 70 in about 4 weeks

Keep on refusing to believe you're about to be 70. The moment you start believing you're old is when you really start to get old. I've watched it happen so many times at work, someone retires and then they go down hill quickly.

EdTheHeaterMan

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

Take it apart and clean the coil and clean the inside. I had an 18000 years ago that I could pick up and carry some distance and slide it in the wall sleeve.

Now I have a 10,000 which I pulled out of a wall sleeve about a month ago, took some measurements and picked it up again and slid it back in no problem but my back hasn't been the same since. Used to do it with no issue.

I guess I don't want to believe I will be 70 in about 4 weeks

Try doing that from a wheelchair. But I have stopped climbing ladders! When folks ask "How did you do that?" or "Who helped you with that?" I just tell them ... "Like the Egyptians!"

MikeAmann

EdTheHeaterMan said:

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

Take it apart and clean the coil and clean the inside. I had an 18000 years ago that I could pick up and carry some distance and slide it in the wall sleeve.

Now I have a 10,000 which I pulled out of a wall sleeve about a month ago, took some measurements and picked it up again and slid it back in no problem but my back hasn't been the same since. Used to do it with no issue.

I guess I don't want to believe I will be 70 in about 4 weeks

Try doing that from a wheelchair. But I have stopped climbing ladders! When folks ask "How did you do that?" or "Who helped you with that?" I just tell them ... "Like the Egyptians!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRRDzFROMx0&ab_channel=shengd

EdTheHeaterMan

So @MikeAmann ... I'm not crazy! ...or at least not as crazy as Wally Wallington.

MikeAmann

There is a very fine line between genius and crazy.

JakeCK

MikeAmann said:

There is a very fine line between genius and crazy.

Excuse me, I prefer eccentric.

ChrisJ

JakeCK said:

MikeAmann said:

There is a very fine line between genius and crazy.

Excuse me, I prefer eccentric.

pecmsg

gyrfalcon

During certain times of the year , my parts room at work has a funky skunky smell from rubber belts and hoses.   Maybe some rubber components in your ac are off gassing .