Why does car air conditioning smell bad?
If your car is several years old, you will probably detect a bad smell when you turn on the air conditioning after several months without using it. This is a bad sign, since the smell is not coming from outside but from inside the ventilation ducts. To discover why car air conditioning smells bad how to avoid and how to eliminate this unpleasant aroma, at FoxWiki we recommend that you continue reading this article.
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Why does your car’s air conditioning smell bad when you turn it on?
When you get into your car and turn on the air conditioning, the evaporator is in charge of absorb air from the vehicle. Thanks to the circulation of cold liquid gas and the fan, it returns cooled air to the interior of the car.
The problem that can arise in this cooling process is that hot air condenses, thus increasing the humidity at various points in the system. Obviously, the cold generated by the air conditioning itself does not facilitate the elimination of humidity, so accumulates in the vehicle when you turn it off.
However, the bad smell caused by air conditioning occurs due to the following causes:
- Mold Appearance: When moisture is trapped inside the condenser or evaporator, it ends up becoming a perfect breeding ground for the appearance of bacteria, mold and other microorganisms that give off an unpleasant odor. These microorganisms could cause allergic reactions such as sneezing, coughing, and burning eyes.
- Dirty filter: The car has an air conditioning system with a particle filter responsible for purifying the air that enters the vehicle and extracting humidity. If this filter is very dirty, it could generate bad odors that could accumulate in the ventilation ducts.
How to remove bad smell from car air conditioning
Eliminating bad smells from your car’s air conditioning is easier than it seems. To achieve this, you only need to apply a suitable product to eradicate microorganisms that generate the unpleasant aroma: in this way, you will solve this problem.
Therefore, the first step to eliminate the bad smell of the air conditioning in the car is to buy a suitable spray for it. A specific disinfectant It is enough, being easy to acquire: you will find several options on the market. Read the product instructions carefully before using it, although in general it is used as follows:
- Apply the spray in the ducts to which the air conditioning reaches.
- Then turn on the air conditioning and let it run for a long time so that the product reaches all the ducts.
In addition to applying the disinfectant, get a specific brush with which you can clean the ducts of the car air conditioning system. Thus, you will successfully complete the cleaning after using the disinfectant liquid.
The cooling system is important, but you can’t forget to clean the air conditioning filters to get rid of the bad smell. For this cleaning you must use soap and water and allow it to dry properly before installing it back into the vehicle.
As a last resort or in case you have excessively dirty filters, the simplest thing is to change them for new ones to eliminate bad smell from car air conditioning.
How to avoid bad smell from car air conditioning
If you want to prevent your car from smelling bad due to the use of air conditioning, at FoxWiki we give you the following recommendations:
- Do not use the air conditioning at its maximum power, since this increases condensation and the probability of accumulating humidity in the system. Therefore, you should not use it to the maximum, except in exceptional situations. On days with very high temperatures, it is also not advisable to immediately turn on the air conditioning after getting into the car: to cool it down, first lower the windows so that the air in the vehicle is renewed.
- Do not allow too much time to pass without using the heating or air conditioning. Turn it on at least once a month for 5 minutes before driving. It is also advisable to use the air conditioning with some regularity, since in this way the compressor is activated and the fluids circulate, avoiding a blockage of the system.
- Don’t neglect maintenance. It is a fundamental aspect to avoid the bad smell of the car’s air conditioning. The filters accumulate dirt, bacteria and dust mites that end up causing an unpleasant odor. Therefore, it is recommended that you change the air filter every 10,000-20,000 kilometers. As for the pollen filter, you should replace it every 20,000 km depending on the places you drive frequently and the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you want to know more about car care, you may be interested in these other FoxWiki articles on How to clean the car dashboard, Types of shock absorbers for cars and How to start a car with pliers.
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