3 Top Disturbing Causes of Smelly Air Vents

Can you imagine coming home to find a foul smell coming from your heating and air conditioning vents? It can happen, and it’s about as fun as you would think. To prevent or possibly identify the causes of smelly air vents, take a look at the four top contributors.

#1: Mold and Mildew

If you smell mold or mildew coming from your vents, that’s probably exactly what it is. They can build up inside your ducts if the humidity in your house is too high. Installing a dehumidifier is one way to prevent the moldy smell. Changing your air filter regularly will also help.

#2: A Burning Smell

A burning smell coming from your vents can send you into a panic. The good news is that the odor usually comes from dust burning off when you first turn on the heat for the season. If the smell persists, it warrants a call to your HVAC technician.

#3: The Smell of Urine

Urine is not something you want to smell coming out of your vents. If you do the likely culprit are pests, possibly mice. You’ll want to call in a pest control expert and then have your vents professionally cleaned.

#4: Stale and Musty Odor

A stale or musty odor usually means your ducts are dirty. Dust, dander, and other pollutants can build up inside your ducts. As the HVAC system blows through them, it picks up the odor and sends it out the vents.

If you smell dirty socks coming from your vents, you don’t have to live with it. Contact Wilson’s Refrigeration and Air for options on air purification systems. Wilson’s is your air purification experts!