If you’re recognizing a odor from your heat pump, it’s attempting to tell you that something is wrong. We’ve developed a list of the most commonly encountered six heat pump smells, what causes them and how you can repair them.
- Heat pump smells musty
- Heat pump smells like fish
- Heat pump smells like sulfur
- Heat pump smells like sewer
- Heat pump smells like burning
- Heat pump defrost cycle smells
1. My Heat Pump Has a Musty Smell
If your heat pump smells musty, there’s probably mold growing on wet evaporator coils or in the ductwork. This heat pump odor is often referred to as dirty sock syndrome. You can avoid this by scheduling frequent heat pump maintenance and air duct cleaning.
2. My Heat Pump Smells Like Fish
If your heat pump smells like fish, there could be several things wrong:
- Motor is too hot
- Wiring problem
- Plastic components or coating is melting
- Other mechanical issue
Electrical problems are dangerous, so turn your heat pump system off as soon as possible at the breaker box and contact us at 419-465-8722 for heat pump repair.
3. Your Heat Pump Smells Like Rotten Eggs
Normally when you smell a rotten egg smell, you’re dealing with a gas leak. But your heat pump doesn’t use natural gas. If your heat pump smells like sulfur, a small animal may have crawled inside it for warmth and died. One of our Ohler & Holzhauer Inc. techs can eliminate the smell by cleaning your heat pump.
4. Your Heat Pump Smells Like Sewage
As we reviewed before, your heat pump is electric, so any rotten egg smells are connected to a gas leak elsewhere. If your heat pump smells like sewer, you might currently have a backed-up or broken sewer line. We recommend getting in touch with a company that does sewer line repair.
5. Your Heat Pump Has a Burnt Plastic/Rubber Smell
You might be dealing with an electrical issue if your heat pump smells like burning, burning plastic or burning rubber. This burning smell can be the result of melting plastic on electrical wires. Electrical issues in HVAC systems are dangerous and could cause a fire. If you notice this smell, turn off your heat pump at the breaker and contact us at 419-465-8722.
6. Heat Pump Defrost Cycle Smells
Like we mentioned above, a dirty socks smell can happen when your evaporator coils need cleaning. You might notice this smell when your heat pump has defrost mode.
It’s typical for your heat pump to have to use defrost mode during heating season. When the air is much cooler, frost can form fast on the coils from condensation and impede heating. During defrost mode, your heat pump temporarily switches to ac to get rid of the frost.
Having a Ohler & Holzhauer Inc. HVAC technician clean the coils will help get rid of the smell.
You can Count on Us for Your Heat Pump Repair Needs
It can be confusing to troubleshoot your heat pump by yourself. Your comfort matters to us at Ohler & Holzhauer Inc., so you can count on our experts to help you when you need us. When you need heat pump repair in Port Clinton that you can count on, call us at 419-465-8722.