Q: Why do my air vents have a strange smell? Mold grows in areas where this moisture hasn’t fully drained. Be sure you install the filter with the proper side facing outward. My car smells like urine when I blast the air, or sometimes I will also get the occasional whiff. Mice in particular nest in and around equipment and ductwork, and where they nest, they urinate and defecate. A leak or crack in plumbing could lead to a sewage scent if those cracked pipes are close to your A/C ductwork. The air that passes through the evaporator and the units’ mold build-up will carry the foul smell inside of your car through your dash vents. Bigger is not always better because your air conditioner doesn’t just cool the air, it dehumidifies it as well. Occasionally, you may notice there are odors that come in with the air flow. To get rid of this smell, you obviously need to find where the mice are living. In cooler temperatures it may be around the air handler (it’s warm there) and then you need to clear them out. of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle. Solution: Turn off your gas immediately, open windows, and call an HVAC professional to come out and inspect your equipment. Dust gathers on the heat exchanger of the furnace when it’s not being used and then burns off when the furnace gets turned on for the first time in a while. posted by jferg at 3:53 PM on December 25, 2012 Sometimes when you turn on your furnace for the first time of the season you’ll get a slight odor like a hot iron or something scorched. A smell like mold or mildew is a common one, but if you’ve been noticing a musty or moldy odor from your vents, it can be difficult to pin down the source. We at Volunteer Mold and Indoor Air Quality perform hundreds of crawl space inspections every year. I love Nature's Miracle and have used it for years. Inspect for signs of mice when doing home appliance cleaning. Air Specialist Heating & Air Conditioning is a Houston-area HVAC contractor that has been serving the Houston Metro area with quality service since 1970. If you smell urine coming through your vents, you likely have a pest infestation of some kind. Keeping the air in your vents smelling clean and fresh is usually just a matter of keeping your air filters changed regularly. It's made for removing pet's mess, like cat & dog pee, poo, hairballs, vomit, blood, if this stuff will work for nasty cat urine, then human pee should be a cinch. There are vermin in your air ducts. Its hard for me to believe that someone didn't actually piss in the air vents! If your vents smell like something might be overheating, there may be a more serious problem. When I out heat on I smell a bad odor, when I put my nose to the vent I smell an old dryed up urine smell. Why Does The Odor Coming From Your A/C Vent Smell Like Sewage? You can get a product called Nature's Miracle on Amazon or at your local pet shop. It works with good bacteria & enzymes. Mice in particular nest in and around equipment and ductwork, and where they nest, they urinate and defecate. But whatever the smell, it’s usually worth finding out why it’s there. Just spray it into the area where the urine is & cover with a plastic bag to keep the area wet, then leave it sit from an hour to overnight. Mix 3/4 cup of three percent hydrogen peroxide with 1 tsp. Must, Mildew, and Mold; If there is excess humidity or moisture in the HVAC system, you could end up with mold and mildew flowing through the ductwork. Try it, I am most sure it will work after a couple times. This stuff takes out all kinds of smells. It’s important to do this, however, because while mold and mildew aren’t serious problems for your equipment, they can lead to respiratory health issues due to poor air quality. It's sold in the pet care area at Walmart & Target. There’s at least one explanation why you smell urine when none is around or in sight. Smells in your ductwork can be caused by a variety of sources such as mold and mildew, animals in your home or ducts, duct leaks, plumbing leaks and issues, building materials, or mechanical issues, such as a leaky (and unsafe) heat exchanger or a bad blower motor that is overheating. It even removes blood from clothes. Then I tried baking soda, it didn't seem to work at first but a couple of days latter the smell was gone. The enzymes will do the trick. In the meantime, don’t use any electronics or light any candles near the area – sparks and open flames could cause an explosion. I read online it could be a leaky heater core, but the most likely issue is that a rodent got in and did its business in my … Air from vents smell like urine with outside air on..goes away with recycle air is on...replaced cabin filter some - Answered by a verified Chevy Mechanic. So I don't have to tell you what his room smells like 2 days later. This is sometimes a problem in older and/or improperly maintained systems. Solution: The easy remedy is a routine maintenance call and/or tune-up. The vent, not just the cover, will be coated with urine, and it needs to be cleaned with a wire brush and soap. Then your blower moves the odor (and the spores) throughout the house. Be sure to check the top of the heat exchanger for debris that may have fallen into the duct work during construction or at another time when your registers might have been off: these items could be smoldering and cause an odor. Also, you can use Vinegar and water mixed about half & half (or a little weaker). My car has 150000 miles. Finding where the mold buildup is and getting it cleaned up will solve the problem. Mice urinate and defecate frequently in their lairs, and this smell comes out of your vents when the air conditioner or furnace turns on. No matter how clean you keep your air ducts , spores will begin to grow once the temperature reaches above 65 degrees Fahrenheit in … Your air conditioner contains an important component called an evaporator coil, which is the part that actually cools your home’s air.. If you smell urine coming from your air conditioner, it’s probably not because someone relieved themselves where they shouldn’t have. If you apply the OUT twice & still have odor, then you haven't gotten it on to all of the urine. How do you remove urine smell from a air vent? Scrub everywhere there is a urine stain because even a small patch can cause a smell in the house. You have to keep it wet for the enzymes to work. They can be unpleasant, annoying, or barely noticeable. But, I would also buy the air freshener in the vent after airing it out with the products. Vinegar removes odors & Peroxide "eats" & fizzes away all organic /natural stains (including dried-on blood, coffee, cocoa, grape juice & red wine). In most stores like Home Depot, or Sam's they sell a product called Odoband (I hope I spelled that right?). The reason that the smell seems to be coming from the HVAC system is usually that the odor is being drawn in through the intake vent, then dispersed through the home, although it is possible that the electrical issue is occurring inside the heater or air conditioner itself. While natural gas is odorless, the chemical Methyl Mercaptan, which some people describe as smelling like rotten eggs, is added to act as a warning. Most of the time someone in the store will be familiar with this problem and can help you quickly. Someone used our vent for a potty before we moved into our home. But, technically, you’re not noticing the fungus itself. Solution: Find where the mice are living. Solution: Talk to a HVAC provider to see if your unit is too large and go over your options for a high efficiency replacement. 5 – Avoid Vinegar. Why does my air conditioner smell like pee? You may have to do this twice. A dirty filter can cause a musty smell or lead to overheating and a burning smell as well as a fire hazard. Your HVAC system runs most of the time, sometimes cooling, sometimes heating, and always circulating air. It smells exactly like stale piss smell and its very strong. We had to not only close off the vent, but tape cardboard over the vent. If you’re noticing your air conditioner smells bad like sewage, it could be a sign of issues in other aspects of the home. Vacuum the carpet and spray with vinegar solution (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water) and mop up or stem clean with same solution. This can mean that mildew or fungus has taken hold and is growing in, or somewhere near, the air conditioner. However, if the air coming from your AC vent is smelly, you might have a serious problem on your hands. A smell like mildew or mold is probably the most common ailment of HVAC systems. Some cars have a filter that can be replaced but they have some good products (AC evaporator cleaners) and these can be sprayed down the air intake. If you smell urine coming through your vents, you likely have a pest infestation of some kind. Since natural gas is extremely flammable, ignoring this bad smell is exceedingly dangerous. Allow all these ingredients to sit for two to three hours. I figure it had to have had something to do with using the A/C last night. Clean the coils if possible, replace/clean the filter. You 'll simply be amazed at how well this `` out! to out. Old and when we turn the car on and its very strong,. However, it ’ s there large for your home ’ s least. Smell that is coming out of your also, you obviously need to your! Moisture doesn ’ t have to live with that foul smell until the animal is removed air vent in room... Amazed at how well this `` out! taken hold and is growing in, barely. 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