If I set my AC unit above 28C it starts to smell moldy. I had the inside cleaned throughouly by a pro and looking inside it looks pristine so I don’t think that s the problem.
The strange thing is that if I blast it at 18C , it doesn’t smell at all.
I have the impression that if the temp difference with outside is too low, it starts to malfunction and I think that I’m not supposed to use it like that.
The thing is I want to save electricity and I don’t mind temps around 28C.
Right now the only fix I found is to set it to 23C with low wind and turn it on and off periodically. But I have the impression that this is inefficient.
Anyone has a similar problem?
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I’ve had nothing but problems with our AC for a few years now after getting it cleaned by a pro. Still stinky and moldy even after he cleaned it. He clearly didn’t clean it correctly, so I disassembled it myself this spring and cleaned every single nook and cranny with help from youtube.
After using it only twice this year, it smelled moldy at 27, but 25 was fine. Hmmm. Well the only place I didn’t clean was the actual metal coolant unit since I couldn’t just take that in the shower. So I got one of those compressed cans or cleaner and sprayed it on the inside of the unit. Immediately solved the problem. Smells fine.
I don’t know if it was the metal fins of the unit being dirty or if the cleaning power of that stuff actually cleansed the hose as well, but it worked. Try getting a bottle at the local drugstore and see for yourself.
I find if it’s set higher than the actual room temperature, it starts to smell funky. I guess turn the temperature down or turn it off if you don’t need the room to be under 28.
Edit: this applies to my classroom aircon, my home one is basically never set under 26.
AC usually needs to be cleaned annually in japan due to humidity. If neglected they will get mould deposits over a year or so. Google cleaners, you can get it done for under ¥10,000
There is only so much that an AC cleaning can do. There is still some mold somewhere. The mold probably starts to become active at 28C.
Does your AC have a fan mode? It is better to run it in fan mode for a hour or so after using AC before turning it off to dry the internals.
Get a spray bottle and a compressed air and blast the coolant unit.
Sometimes the AC smells like musty odor from a wet towel, its probably due to humidity inside the AC unit. The lower the temperature the less humidity will be, that’s why it doesn’t smell when on low. I highly suggest to hire someone for a deep clean on the AC unit, they also have options doing a coating to avoid mold.
In the future if you want it at 28℃ you might as well as using a fan, or have it at lower temp with lower fan speed during summer.
My AC smells moldy when it goes into self cleaning mode after turning it off. It doesn’t smell when it’s on and working. Anyone have any idea why?
My theory is that when it’s set cold the constant condensation will cover the mildew and not allow it to release odor.
When it’s set high-ish, the condensation starts to evaporate and releases the mildew odor.
It seems to not release odor once it’s completely dry from my experience, but the mildew is still there and starts to smell again when it’s wet and lukewarm.
Also from my experience it’s the drain pan that’s moldiest and most difficult to clean.
I’ve also recently thought about the whole thing, and I bet the hose that the drain pan drains through probably gets pretty gross too.
Mold . You should be having it deep cleaned once a year. I used to have this issue since I never lived in a place so humid. You’d be surprised how deep that stuff gets. At home cleaning kits barely make a dent in the mold.
Because they are poorly designed and mold loves them. What we do to keep it from stinking is to run a heat cycle at 30 degrees for about 10 minutes every few days. Seems to reduce the smell.
A professional cleaning twice a year should help too. I tried to clean it myself once but made a huge gross mess. You may be handier than me.