dustytom
12-01-2005, 02:21 PM
First off, apologies if I should be replying to a previous thread, but I thought my questions might be a little different to those of Milkman’s Daughter and kmck, so I’ve started a new one…
SITUATION:
I have an odor coming from my HVAC. I live in a two story building and share the HVAC with the apartment below me. I can detect the odor in my apartment and in the car-less garage below, but the people downstairs don’t seem to notice it.
I’m not sure if this is the sweaty socks odor that people talk about. My smell seems more freon-y, and less mildewy…?
The ducks were cleaned last year, but the AC coil could not be accessed because that would have involved pulling the HVAC apart in a major way. (I was pissed that I was told this half way through the job; when the job was originally quoted I was told it could be done.)
So there could be biological contaminants on my coil. (Mold was found and cleaned from one area of the return duct close to the furnace - the duct had separated from the ceiling, this was repaired.) Also the HVAC has a drum humidifier attached, but it seems to be clean.
QUESTIONS:
If the smell's not coming from contaminant within the HVAC, could something else be causing it?
Could the outdoor air unit be involved? Do these need cleaning? Can they create odors?
Is freon used in HVACs and could this be causing the odor?
Could a 3M filter cause an odor? (I’ve been using these with no adverse effects on my HVAC’s motor. Also… Have tried running my fan on both Auto and Always On. Doesn’t seem to affect IAQ.) Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I changed the filter recently so I'd thought I'd ask.
Could my gas furnace be causing problems? (I installed carbon monoxide detectors, and I'm still alive, so I don't think it's carbon monoxide.)
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
HISTORY of the problem and my attempts to fix it:
1. Moved in last November.
2. Respiratory problems (blocked sinuses). Diagnosis of allergies to dust mites, trees, and possibly mold. Began allergy medication.
3. February. Ducts cleaned, carpets removed and floors varnished.
4. Floors stank for awhile, offgassing.
5. Odor persisted in apartment. Floors or furnace? Kept windows open. Brrr, cold. Began second allergy medication.
6. Clothes and luggage began to pick up smell. (Girlfriend lives in another city. She could smell it.)
7. Tenants in apartment below me didn’t seem to have the same problem.
8. Spring came, odor dissipated some. (Because HVAC fan wasn’t turning on as often?)
9. Summer. Serious odor from HVAC. Made me wonder if it was AC freon? Kept windows open.
10. Fall, odor seemed to dissipate. When heat first came on, things seemed to be okay.
11. But now odor has returned.
12. I’m considering buying a window fan to bring in outdoor air. (A new unit by Bionaire claims to block heat escape through the fan, and is thus “winter-friendly”.)
I’d rather not move to a new apartment right now, but if the problem continues I might have to. One with radiators.
Again, many thanks.
SITUATION:
I have an odor coming from my HVAC. I live in a two story building and share the HVAC with the apartment below me. I can detect the odor in my apartment and in the car-less garage below, but the people downstairs don’t seem to notice it.
I’m not sure if this is the sweaty socks odor that people talk about. My smell seems more freon-y, and less mildewy…?
The ducks were cleaned last year, but the AC coil could not be accessed because that would have involved pulling the HVAC apart in a major way. (I was pissed that I was told this half way through the job; when the job was originally quoted I was told it could be done.)
So there could be biological contaminants on my coil. (Mold was found and cleaned from one area of the return duct close to the furnace - the duct had separated from the ceiling, this was repaired.) Also the HVAC has a drum humidifier attached, but it seems to be clean.
QUESTIONS:
If the smell's not coming from contaminant within the HVAC, could something else be causing it?
Could the outdoor air unit be involved? Do these need cleaning? Can they create odors?
Is freon used in HVACs and could this be causing the odor?
Could a 3M filter cause an odor? (I’ve been using these with no adverse effects on my HVAC’s motor. Also… Have tried running my fan on both Auto and Always On. Doesn’t seem to affect IAQ.) Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I changed the filter recently so I'd thought I'd ask.
Could my gas furnace be causing problems? (I installed carbon monoxide detectors, and I'm still alive, so I don't think it's carbon monoxide.)
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
HISTORY of the problem and my attempts to fix it:
1. Moved in last November.
2. Respiratory problems (blocked sinuses). Diagnosis of allergies to dust mites, trees, and possibly mold. Began allergy medication.
3. February. Ducts cleaned, carpets removed and floors varnished.
4. Floors stank for awhile, offgassing.
5. Odor persisted in apartment. Floors or furnace? Kept windows open. Brrr, cold. Began second allergy medication.
6. Clothes and luggage began to pick up smell. (Girlfriend lives in another city. She could smell it.)
7. Tenants in apartment below me didn’t seem to have the same problem.
8. Spring came, odor dissipated some. (Because HVAC fan wasn’t turning on as often?)
9. Summer. Serious odor from HVAC. Made me wonder if it was AC freon? Kept windows open.
10. Fall, odor seemed to dissipate. When heat first came on, things seemed to be okay.
11. But now odor has returned.
12. I’m considering buying a window fan to bring in outdoor air. (A new unit by Bionaire claims to block heat escape through the fan, and is thus “winter-friendly”.)
I’d rather not move to a new apartment right now, but if the problem continues I might have to. One with radiators.
Again, many thanks.