Why does my A/C smell like the heat is on?

1. 90

   Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years ago

   Why does my A/C smell like the heat is on?
   
   I checked, it's not, but it smells like the heat is on, it doesn't seem to be blowing much air and it's definitely not cold, just cool. It's ancient, like 20 years old I think. My A/C appears below
   
   

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2. 92

   Cre8torposted 12 years ago

   A/C could be a lot of things but not sure about the heat smell. Check for icing on the copper lines, filter, and that the indoor and outdoor fans are running. I see it's an older unit but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I've seen older still running good...they just cost more to run in that case.
   
   The heat smell could be a locked rotor on the main fan but that's all I can think as far as the smell goes.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're correct on the locked rotor? I went out back, and do you see the blades of the fan on the top of the unit? They aren't moving! That heat smell was something burning I think. I'm assuming that fan pulls air in?

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   2. 92

      Cre8torposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry I've been gone....it's more than likely the capacitor thus the reason the fan is not running. The smell is still a mystery though because the outdoor unit has nothing to do with the indoor air accept that it helps make it cold.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The landlord came over yest and oiled the fan which made it work for another 24 hours. It stopped running again at like 0400. No smell though. He's coming back to fix it, I'll look for the dome after he leaves lol. THANK YOU!!! your awesome!

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3. 60

   EinderDarkwolfposted 12 years ago

   If air is coming out and it feels barely cool, it could need a freon charge. You said it's old and if you haven't done that, it could be it. Can't say for sure though.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Einder! I think that may be an issue as wel, it looks like there's a leak in the back of the unit. So I think you're both right.

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   Civil War Bobposted 12 years ago

   DoM...sounds as though your compressor has a frozen shaft.  Call your hvac guy.  I'm thinking you'll need at least a new compressor unit if he can't get it unstuck.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I was afraid of that. Thankfully, we rent the house, so the landlord is coming over to take a look at it. Unfortunately, he's Mr. Fix-it, and tends to botch all of his repair attempts. If it's the compressor, hopefully he'll have to call an HVAC guy.

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      Cre8torposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The fan would still run. If you look inside the service panel you'll see an aluminum part similar to a 9 volt battery but round or oval...if the top is domed, it's bad and cheap and easy to fix.

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5. 62

   Diane Woodsonposted 12 years ago

   I am not sure but something is wrong there isn't it. My Daddy always said to check the compressor when our A/C did not function properly. Personally, I would be afraid to turn it on until somebody checks it out.

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   1. 92

      Cre8torposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No doubt the compressor is important but if it's hermetic, there's nothing to do but replace it. However, if the fan is not spinning, then either the fan is shot or the capacitor is bad 99.9% of the time. NOTE: These are just ideas.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Apparently the landlord said he was going to replace the fan motor today. He got it running again after it quit yesterday. It seems to be running fine at the moment.

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   weekendposted 12 years ago

   It's broken, simple as that. I'd get a new one if I were you.

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      Daughter Of Maatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Actually no it wasn't broken. The fan needed to be replaced.

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7. 60

   airtrackincposted 8 years ago

   If you smell burning from your AC unit, you probably have an electrical problem. The burning smell can come from either a blower motor that overheated or a mechanical failure of some sort. This is due to the build up heat of plastic insulation on wires, causing melting and the burning smell in your unit. Also, if plastic, rubber, or other objects get caught in your ductwork, this can cause a burning smell. Even dirty air filters can overheat your AC unit, creating a burning smell.

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