Re: [A/S] Air conditioner odor.

[Rick Kunath <k9ao@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Usually if there is a Freon leak the stuff leaks out in short order and 
the unit has a very short time period when it fails to get cold enough 
and then does not get cold at all.

A big problem with air conditioner smells is the water condensate that 
occurs on the evaporator coils, that's the part of the air conditioner 
that is inside and gets cold (the compressed Freon evaporates inside the 
evaporator coils and makes them cold.) The air conditioning process 
dehumidifies the air because it drops the temperature. This lower 
temperature air can't hold as much vaporized water as hot air, and the 
excess water condenses all over the evaporator coils and fins to drip 
off in to the drain and on the ground.

If you shut off the unit while the coils are still cold, water will 
still be all over the evaporator and mold can develop. The fix is to run 
it on fan only to let the evaporator dry before shutting it off.

I remember that some GM cars even had self-running fans to eliminate the 
smell when the units were shut off cold.

You need to clean the evaporator too. Try a mild bleach and water 
solution to kill the mold.

Rick Kunath
WBCCI #3060