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