HVAC Duct odor diagnosis & cure:
This article explains the diagnosis and cure of odors in HVAC ducts, air handlers, blowers, for both warm air heating and air conditioning systems.
Duct and air handler odors in buildings can be traced to a variety of sources such as leaks and mold in the duct system, a leaky (and unsafe) heat exchanger sending flue gases or even carbon monoxide into building air, dead animals in the ducts or air handler, or even a bad blower motor that is overheating.
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This website provides articles on to diagnose, test, identify, and cure or remove a wide range of obnoxious or even toxic odors in buildings and in building water supply. We discuss odors from a variety of sources including animals including pets, dogs, cats, or unwanted animals or dead animals, formaldehyde odors in buildings from building products or furnishings, plumbing drains, plastic or vinyl odors from building products, flue gases, oil tanks or oil spills, pesticides, septic odors, sewer gases, and even abandoned chemicals at properties.
Tracking down building odors associated with the heating or cooling ductwork can be tricky not only because there is a larger variety of possible sources of duct smells and stinky ducts than you might guess, but also because once an odor source has invaded the HVAC system, smells can be delivered to other more remote building areas.
One IAQ investigator associate traced the mold-related-illness of a building occupant to the delivery of mold-contaminated air (MVOC's and mold spores) right to the occupant's head when she was asleep - a supply air register was close to the bed's headboard.
The checklist below addresses things to check if odors appear to be present in or coming from building heating or cooling ductwork, air handlers, or blower compartments, or at the heat exchanger.
Given in thereader Q&A below.
Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.
In an effort to determine the source of an unpleasant odor that appears to originate somewhere in a central location of our HVAC system, the HVAC company we used recently replaced the coils (which were only a year old). When they removed the prior coils my husband took photos, one of which is attached.
It's the edge of the drip pan that faced the back so we were unable to see it prior to removal of the coils. The pattern appears mold-like, but perhaps it's from water staining and dirt (thought that would become a haven for mold growth, I suppose).
The thing that's wierd is that even after they replaced the coils, the odor returned according to prior patterns which is that it only emerges if we've used the AC, then stopped using it for a day or so (as happens during seasonal transitions) and then started using it again. It's as if water stagnates somewhere and grows something (mold? bacteria? algae? etc)
The odor disappears if we clean the coils and most recently, cleaning the condensate line also seemed to help.
You've suggested having the ducts inspected, but so far we've been unable to find a company that does this. The best we found so far is a company that has a camera on a 6' length, so they'd need to cut holes in our ducts every 6 feet to be able to inspect all the ducts and at this point, since the odor comes out of all the ducts, we're leaning away from this approach to diagnose the problem.
The HVAC company is throwing up their hands claiming they just fix stuff that's not working.
In any case, if you could look at the photo and let me know if you think that's looks like mold. Our IAQ consultant said she can't diagnose it from a photo, while noting the pattern is mold-like. - Anonymous by private email 2021/06/18
That black pattern looks a bit odd; not quite how I expect to see mold growing, but sorry, I can't rule it out completely - take a look at
MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE
and also at our library of what mold looks like on various building surfaces including plastic at
MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, PHOTOS catalog of images of mold growth on various materials & surfaces - https://inspectapedia.com/mold/Mold-on-Building-Surfaces.php
where you will find in that alphabetical index these examples
MOLD on/in AIR DUCTS in HVAC systems
MOLD in AIR HANDLERS of air conditioners and heating furnaces
and further in the alphabetical index you'll find htis link to
MOLD on PLASTIC SURFACES
If this is mold you'd be able to wipe it off - or most of it - with a paper towel dampened with glass cleaner or any household liquid cleaner.
In any event even if that was mold it would not explain a moldy odor complaint in a building; (though if it were mold it might be a symptom of mold contamination in the HVAC system, including air hander, duct work, filters, etc.)
Why? It's simply not a sufficient reservoir of mold.
It always makes sense to start diagnosing an HVAC system odor problem with a combination of visual inspection of all accessible areas and a review of the history of the system and of the building where it is installed, looking for visible mold or for water - follow the water path. As you'll read in our article series on duct odor and mold odor diagnosis and cure, duct systems can also pick up odors in the return ducts and transport them throughout the building.
So don't rely on a too-narrow scope of inspection.
When invasive inspection of ductwork is difficult and costly, it makes sense to start by inspecting the most-suspect areas first.
Those would be any spot where there is greater risk of water inside the duct system:
- sections of duct at which an external inspection shows stains indicating leakage either outside that leaked onto the duct system (and maybe into it) or leak stains at duct sides and bottoms indicating that water was in the tion f
ducts and leaked out
- sections of duct closest to common water sources such as just downstream from the air handler and cooling coil - and in the air handler itself, including its blower assembly and filters
As it will be helpful to other readers, and as its publication may prompt other readers to offer a helpful suggestion, I will include a redacted (to respect your privacy) version of this discussion [above on this page].
Do take a look, and do let me know how you progress on this irritating problem.
On 2020-08-10 by (mod) - sour, acrid, vinegar like smell coming from the A/C system
Lynne:
An "air cleaner" can never remove an odor in a building if the odor source itself is not found and removed or cleaned-up.
Check the duct odor sources listed above on this page, including attention to spills that may have got into an air handler or into the duct system and to odors that might be picked up at the air return registers.
See also
On 2020-08-10 by Lynne
Help, help, help (please). In May, I had to replace the compressor and air handler for my 20 year old high velocity AC system. They installed a variable stage Bosch and Unico air handler. The ductwork remained the same.
It's been a nightmare. I am getting a sour, acrid, vinegar like smell coming from the system. It's a heavy odor, it settles on everything and permeates bedding, clothing, paper products, towels. It seems to be worse when the system first comes on, and when the variable compressor is running at a lower speed, and not quite as noticeable as when it's running full power.
But as it cycles off and on I am getting full blasts of this horrible smell. The contractor came out and cleaned the coils and checked the drainage, and everything looked fine, but the smell is still there.
There is also an IWave air cleaner in place. We tested removing it, it's not helping or hurting. Would a duct cleaning help? Can you clean the small high velocity ducts? I would be so appreciate of any info. Thank you.
On 2020-08-02 by (mod)
Ronald,
With no clue as to the nature of the odor it's hard to guess at a possible source. Check both the examples of odor sources listed above on this page and especially chck for odors picked up at the return air inlets.
You may need a camera inspection of the duct system.
On 2020-08-02 by Ronald K Williams
Question: Help! I had fiberglass ductboard recently installed in my crawl space (entire supply ducting, not return). Since being installed I have been smelling a strange chemical odor. It doesnt smell like mold. I called in a second HVAC company. They looked at the system but could not really inspect the return (they declined to cut a hole to look inside). They also declined to pull a flex duct to inspect that.
The second company looked in the air handler but the return plenum had been replaced so they said that was clean. I have been smelling the odor for about a month. The second company said use a Nu Calgon, Clen Aire product. Is this normal?
On 2020-02-24 by Anonymous
I appreciate it. Somehow a couple of tissues were at least over this particular vent, so I wonder if some got pulled into it. I cleared it away and it's been fine since -- no odor at all -- but I may take up your advice about having the interior inspected. Thank you for the response.
On 2020-02-23 - by (mod) -
Ben
I'd take a close look at the "heating vent" in your bedroom - I infer from your phrasing that this is a forced hot air system. Actually inspect the duct interior and if you see nothing obvious like a spill into the duct, accumulated dirt and debris, or a dead animal, then you might ask for a duct inspection by a company who can send a camera through the ducts to inspect sections whose exterior is not readily accessible.
On 2020-02-23 by Ben W.
I woke up to a strong acrid odor from the vent in our bedroom -- the odor you get when you turn on the heat the first time in the winter, only a bit stronger, and we had been running the heat for several months. The odor seemed to come only from the one register. I checked the others in the house and detected nothing. The odor dissipated but didn't totally disappear in a few minutes. Could it simply have been dust in that one vent? Thanks!
On 2019-12-24 - by (mod) -
If you don't think that the smell is coming from a contaminant in the ducts themselves then you need to look for an older Source, such as a tan are returned or near one. If you think the odor source is inside the ductwork that it would make sense to have the ducts cleaned and sanitized.
On 2019-12-24 by Scarlett
Just moved into a 2-level house with basement. 3 vents stink when the furnace is off. But when the hot air blow, the smell disappears. Metal ducts, no crawl space. The vent that Stinks the most is on 2nd floor, another stinky vent is basement, same location at a different level. The last one is also on 2nd floor, next door to the first one. Had a furnace guy here today, he didn’t think it smelled like a dead animal in ductwork, otherwise it would be stronger.
And he didn’t think it’s a dead animal on crawl space, cause there’s no crawl space. I suspected it smelled like sewage, but the guy disagreed. Called several duct cleaning companies but they don’t sounds confident to solve the problem. What should I do? The smell is like radish turning bad and a little sweet.
On 2019-12-11 - by (mod) -
Paul
CO (carbon monoxide) itself is odorless and colorless. However CO leaked from a heating system will usually be mixed with other flue gases and might have an odor - depending on the fuel type being burned - of gases or heating oil.
The difficulty in "finding the irritating particles" is that in my opinion we do not want to hire an expensive consultant who stops by to collect some sort of generic sample, send that to a lab, and have the report sent to you. Such shooting in the dark is costly and rarely hits a useful target.
However you could try collecting particles from the surface of one of your air filters, using clear adhesive tape, and having that analyzed by a forensic lab to see if there are abnormal levels of any particular particle type.
See details at
DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE https://inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/Dust_Sampling_Guide.php
and
TAPE & BULK SAMPLING & TESTS for MOLD or DUST at https://inspectapedia.com/mold/Mold_Test_Adhesive_Tape.php
On 2019-12-11 by Paul Delger
The smell is a fine dust that just goes through the air when the furnace is on. The duct guy said everything is clean. He put a filter outside one supply duct and it looks clean too. I have spent much money chasing this problem. The duct guy wants to seal the system--furnace but don't think my wife will want me to spend more money. Extremely frustrating. I put a air purifier inside the furnace by the blower fan and that's not helping either. Do you have any other suggestions. Could carbon monoxide becoming in play here. How can I actually find the irriating particulars. Thank you so much.
I have another puzzle for you. Back in August 2013, we moved into this house. It is a 2-story house built in 1983. It has no basement and no crawl space. The day before we moved in, we had the air ducts cleaned and sanitized. We put the AC on and all was good for 2 months. The cooler temps came in October and we no longer needed the AC on. A few days went by with no AC or heat on because the house temp was good.
However, an evergreen smell started to enter into the ductwork. Yikes. I had handymen out, HVAC guys out, had my husband clean the evaporator coil, etc.
We spent way to much time & money and were getting nowhere. Low & behold, the heat kicked in then and the evergreen odor was gone for several months. Unfortunately, the evergreen odor is back now that AC season is here. My husband cleaned the evaporator coil again. The odor is still there.
I checked with the previous owners, and they never used pan tablets which may explain the evergreen odor being in the ductwork and coil housing.
I spoke to several HVAC companies, too. Honestly, it will be a total waste of money to have HVAC guys out because we have been there and done that. I need a different spin on this and how to fix it. The newest twist in this happened a few hours ago. I went to open the frig and smelled the evergreen odor in there. I thought I was having a nightmare.
Any helpful advice you can provide Daniel would be greatly appreciated.
...
I think I know what is causing the musty evergreen odor in our air ducts & coil. I think it is a slow freon leak. Call me crazy, but it is the only thing that makes sense right now to me.
Go figure that the outside temp dropped from 75 degrees to 30 degrees. I need a warm outside temp in order to have an HVAC service come out to do the dye test for a possible freon leak.
I just wish I could do something now to patch up the leak, so that the fumes will stop entering our house.
The fumes are not serving our immune systems well around here. - S.N. 4/14/2014
It may be obvious but worth saying, one would tackle the question by asking what's different between the two HVAC modes, then look closely at those details.
The air is moving from and to the same places via the same fan and in the same ductwork, right? It's only heat vs cooling, temperatures, moistures that may be different - or something else different that's less obvious.
'Evergreen odors" sounds (smells) to me like an air freshener product or possibly a cleaning product someone has used somewhere. Refigerant gases are themselves odorless.
Thank you for your feedback. From all the research and feedback I am getting, it looks like freon travels outside during the winter. When it warms up, it travels inside the house. That would explain why the evergreen odor suddenly reappeared last week when the temp rose to 70 degrees. I just have to tackle finding the leak now and go from there. Not giving up.
I may be missing something but refigerant, existing in either a gas or liquid state, remains inside an enclosed HVACR system of pipes, valves, controls, and a receiver and a compressor. It doesn't come indoors and outdoors, it doesn't leak out of a system in normal operation, and it is odorless and colorless.
I agree Daniel. My head is about to explode from all the information that is hitting me left, right & center.
...
Yesterday, we had a video camera inspection done to see all the ductwork in the house. It was recommended we do this because concrete slab homes like ours tend to get water in their in-ground ductwork. As a result, odors are caused. The inspection proved there is no water. Thank goodness. However, we still need to find the source of the evergreen odor.
When the AC was put on, the technician was very concerned because the coil was staying warm. Most likely the refrigerant (freon) is leaking out somewhere.
The HVAC service that installed the furnace & AC back in 2009 is coming in a few hours to check the charge on the AC. If the charge test is not good, the next step will be the sniffer and/or dye test to locate the leak.
Freon (or other HVAC refrigerants) does not smell. It is odorless.
Re-charging a refrigerant gas is only part of a proper repair. The leak needs to be found and fixed.
Ducts in slabs are a notorious source of contaminants: moisture, leaks, rodents, mold; Perhaps someone sprayed a sanitizer or odorant in the ductwork.
See SLAB DUCTWORK for an explanation of the problems commonly found with HVAC air ducts placed in or below concrete floor slabs. For example, anything sprayed into or even leaking into the in-slab ducts could be a source of odors later detected in the building.
The HVAC company that installed the furnace & AC in this house back in 2009, came out. We had to wait for at least 60 degree weather for them to check the charge on the AC and do the sniffer test.
As I expected, the refrigerant was bone dry. Also, the leak is in the coil. That being the case, the entire coil is being replaced. We are still under warranty thank goodness for parts & labor on the furnace & AC.
The relationship between odor and no refrigerant is a tenuous one at best. Perhaps that the system was not cooling and not dehumidifying is a factor in odor development (e.g. mold in a damp area) or odor transmission. In short, you still need to track down the "evergreen" odor source.
Have you determined if a deodorant or sanitizer or cleaner was sprayed or used in the HVAC system or in a building area where such odorants might be picked up by the HVAC air handling system?
Sheila it occurs to me that your installers, in finding the refrigerant leak, should also look for a compressor oil spill or leak anywhere in the system. While refrigerant gases are inert, odorless, colourless, lubricants within the system might have a smell - though not one I'd describe as "evergreen". It remains that an evergreen smell seems more likely to trace to a cleaner or deodorant.
We have had our furnace duct work moved to the attic to eliminate the foul odor coming from the in slab duct work. It is still coming in to the house and we need to fill all the duct work with something that will seal off the system. Can we have all of the ducts filled solid with spray insulation foam to correct this. The odor is making my wife and I Ill. She is allergic to mold & mildew also! Please advise! Thank You Tom - 3/12/2012
Tom, SLAB DUCTWORK - catalogs the functional and environmental problems found when HVAC air ducts are routed in or below floor slabs IN my experience, if we seal the air supply and return registers for the in-slab duct system we don't expect to find odors coming from the remaining ductwork.
But if you are sure that you need a more thorough fill-in, I would consider pouring concrete in the entire duct system - that material will fill the in-floor ducts completely, eliminating any concern for stagnant water, rodents, etc.
(By the way, there is no mildew in buildings - mildew only grows on living plants. If you smell "mildew" inside a building, it's some other genera/species of mold.)
A/C on, doors closed, in the desert. Light, puff, smoke. For 4 years. It Draws into ductwork, & exchanger, paint,& clean all you want. When it gets warm, & the A/c goes on, the house will stink of smoke. - DD 8/8/2012
DD:
Watch out: an air conditioner has absolutely no business emanating a puff of smoke during any part of its operating cycle. This sounds dangerous. You need a service call by an expert.
I have a forced air oil furnace. It began putting strong fumes into the house just before and during shut down of a cycle.
There was no c02 detected in the home. I had multiple HVAC companies inspect the furnace, the problem continued. To the point that windows had to be left open, the family was suffering respiratory distress.
I had the furnace replaced. I had the chimneys cleaned. I had the vents cleaned. The problem continues. The HVAC company is stumped, they say there would be co2 present, yet they confirm they smell odor. To me, it's the same as car exhaust.
The chimney cleaning company said if I continue to have problems, they can install an insert into the chimney. ? The HVAC company wants to install an electronic whole house air filter and if that does not resolve the issue, they will put in an electric furnace and heat pump.
This is becoming a very expensive and I'm afraid health risk issue. Two furnaces with the same issue?
Thanks for any advice. - D.M., Chardon OH
A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem with a heating system - it sounds from your description as if perhaps your onsite people lacked that expertise or perhaps did not accurately understand your heating system odor complaint. That said, here are some things to consider:
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