Can some people not smell DSS?

[fronty]

Can some people not smell DSS, while others can? No one else seems to be able to smell anything coming out of my registers. I'm starting to think that it is only in my mind. Anybody here a service technician that wasn't able to smell the odor, but they still replaced the coil with a coated one? If so, did the homeowner say the smell was gone?

[mark beiser]

Some people are less sensative to it than others.
Sometimes they will only make a smell strong enough to be noticable at certain times, like when it first comes on after being on a setback temperature for a few hours.
I have had a number of them where I couldn't smell anything at all in the air blowing out of the registers, but the homeowner could. When I turned the unit off, stuck my head in the indoor unit and smelled the coil itself, it was kind of rank smelling.

A new coated coil has solved the problem, and kept it from coming back, 100% of the times I have installed one.

For Trane air handlers, I can order a coil that is made with pre coated fins.
For other brands, order a coil and send it off to be Technicoated.

[fronty]

I'm not sure if we are allowed to talk about price, but I was wondering if you could give me ballpark figures. Would $625 have a large markup? One company says they can get it for me for $400 from Trane parts, while two other companies quoted me $625 (also from Trane parts). I want to go with one that is precoated by Trane. Does $400 seem too low? Maybe, they have the coil coated themselves??? It's a 2 and a half ton heatpump.

TWE030C140F1

[amickracing]

I've never smelled that "wonderfull" smell... hope I never will either. But I can attest to the "I can't smell nothing" thing.. Unless I have no nose right on a gas leak I'll never smell one.

[mark beiser]

fronty,

If the air handler is still under the 5 year coil warranty, those are reasonable for a total installed price.
If the coil is out of warranty and that is just the price of the coil, the lower price one is below cost for that coil out of warranty. Well if it a HUGE dealer with great parts pricing, it may not be below thier cost.

If the coil is still under warranty, Trane gives me coated coils for the cost of shipping.

[mark beiser]

Originally posted by amickracing
I've never smelled that "wonderfull" smell... hope I never will either. But I can attest to the "I can't smell nothing" thing.. Unless I have no nose right on a gas leak I'll never smell one.

Wear the same socks for a few days in a row, then let them sit for a few days. Once they are good and dry, get them damp and take a wiff.
Now imagin that smell coming out your vents when the AC is on.
Thats the smell of a coil with DSS. <gag>

[fronty]

Those prices are for the coil only (the coil is just out of warranty). I didn't go with the lower priced coil. It just seemed too low. The company that quoted me that price was a Carrier dealer, but they do install Trane units upon request. I'm thinking they were buying a regular coil and coating it themselves or something similar.