When your air conditioner starts emitting weird or funky smells, it is important to take notice because it could be a sign of a significant problem. Disregarding unpleasant smells coming from your air conditioner could lead to further damage to your air conditioning or even pose a risk to your health and safety.

Depending on what you're smelling, the root of the problem could be bacteria or fungus in the system. Other times, it could also sign something mechanically wrong with the air conditioner. Some smells are even indicative of a hazardous problem, like a natural gas leak.

At Desert Husky HVAC/R Services, we have a nose for these sorts of things. If you smell something peculiar coming from your cooling system, chances are our team of qualified professionals has smelled it, too—and fixed it! We’ve earned our reputation as the first call for air conditioning repair in Tucson and Phoenix.

What does a specific odor wafting from your AC mean? Here are a few frequent air conditioner smells and what they could mean:

Your AC Smells Like Feet

If your air conditioner smells like feet, it might be due to a buildup of bacteria or fungus in the unit. When moisture collects inside the unit, it can produce an environment that is beneficial to the development of bacteria and fungus. This can cause a foul odor that is often described as smelling like dirty feet.

Another likely reason for an odor of stinky feet might be a dirty air filter. If an air filter becomes choked with dirt, dust and other particles, it can result in substandard air quality and a musty smell that it similar to the smell of feet.

To solve this problem, it's important to have a quality service tech inspect and clean your air conditioning system, including the evaporator coil, drain pan and condensate drain line. It's also important to change the air filter regularly to provide good air quality and restrict the development of bacteria and fungus.

The Air Conditioning Smells Like Rotten Eggs

If your reeks of rotten eggs, it may be due to a natural gas leak in the unit or in the surrounding area. Natural gas has a distinct odor, often described as smelling like rotten eggs or sul