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Why does the air conditioner smell when it is turned on to a certain temperature?

He Peiqin

2024-08-22 08:51 Source: Science and Technology Daily

Although it is the beginning of autumn, many parts of my country are still experiencing persistent high temperatures, and air conditioning is still a "life-saving artifact" for many people. However, a netizen recently posted that when the air conditioner at work and home is set to 26 degrees Celsius, there will be a "stinky sock smell", but if the temperature is adjusted below 26 degrees Celsius, the smell disappears.

In response to this, netizens were talking about it, and the topic "Why does the air conditioner smell when it is turned to 26 degrees Celsius" even became a hot search.

So, is it true that the air conditioner has a strange smell when it is set to 26 degrees Celsius? A Science and Technology Daily reporter interviewed relevant experts on this issue.

The odor may come from the purification system

"Air conditioners with formaldehyde and PM2.5 removal functions are more likely to produce odors." Yang Bin, director and professor of the Institute of Low-carbon Energy Technology for Buildings at Hebei University of Technology, said in an interview with reporters that the weather in many parts of my country has been hot and humid recently. When the air conditioner is in cooling or dehumidification mode, the water vapor in the surrounding air easily condenses into small water droplets. Small water droplets containing bacteria and dust adhere to the air conditioner filter for a long time, which will produce odors. Similarly, cars with formaldehyde removal functions will also have a peculiar smell if they are not driven for a period of time.

"An air conditioner consists of four major parts: a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, and a throttling device. The odor coming from the air conditioner may not come from these four major parts, but from its purification system. The purification system includes the filter just mentioned, as well as the dust net." Yang Bin explained, "If the dust net is not cleaned for a long time, we will find that it is black, like a bacterial culture dish. If you turn on the air conditioner at this time, the smell will definitely be unpleasant."

In addition, Wang Fei, a research and development engineer at Haier Air Industry, said in an interview with reporters that a previous industry study pointed out that if the coating process of the air conditioner heat exchanger fins does not meet the standards and the coating film is not completely cured, the aluminum foil coating of the fins may absorb moisture in the air, and if it is not cleaned for a long time, it will easily produce a sour and smelly smell.

So why is it 26 degrees Celsius?

"When the air conditioner is in cooling mode, there may be a bad smell at any temperature. Perhaps because people often set the temperature at 26 degrees Celsius, the probability of the bad smell appearing at this temperature is higher, so everyone mistakenly believes that there will be a bad smell when the air conditioner is turned to 26 degrees Celsius." Yang Bin said.

Regular cleaning is very important

So, how can we avoid odor in the air conditioner?

"For manufacturers, they need to do a good job of anti-corrosion or anti-mildew treatment on equipment and improve the material grade of household air conditioners. For consumers, they need to purchase air conditioners through formal channels and thoroughly clean them after using them for a period of time," said Yang Bin.

If the air conditioner is not cleaned for a long time, it will not only smell bad, but also induce respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. Yang Bin suggested that the air conditioner that is not used for a long time at home should be cleaned before turning it on; public places such as shopping malls, hospitals, hotels, office buildings, nursing homes, etc. need to regularly clean and disinfect central air conditioners, cooling towers and other equipment.

"It is best to clean the air conditioner once before using it in summer and winter every year, or at least do a deep cleaning before using it in summer to remove dirt attached to the air conditioner's dust screen and heat exchanger. If you are using an air conditioner with a self-cleaning function, it is best to activate the self-cleaning function every 15 days." Wang Fei said.

In addition, experts remind you to pay attention to safety when cleaning the air conditioner, as improper operation may cause machine failure or even personal injury.

"If you just want to clean the dust screen and other parts of the indoor air conditioner, you can do it yourself. But if you want to clean the core device of the air conditioner, it is best to ask a professional to do it." Wang Fei reminded that if you want to clean a relatively new air conditioner, you can use air conditioner cleaning agent. If you want to clean an air conditioner that is older or dirtier, it is recommended to purchase professional cleaning services.

Experts give the following 3 suggestions for cleaning the air conditioner yourself.

First of all, during the cleaning process, it is not recommended to use other cleaning agents instead of special air conditioning cleaning agents.

Secondly, when using air conditioner cleaning agent, do not spray it onto the air conditioner computer board and power switch part to avoid causing a short circuit.

Finally, when cleaning the air conditioner, be sure to cover the furniture below with newspapers or put a water bag on the air conditioner to avoid dirtying the walls and floors. When starting the machine to drain sewage, adjust the air volume and cooling capacity to the maximum.

(Science and Technology Daily)