Help! - Live on the 12th floor; have outside hallways; air handler...

HOMEOWNER CRIES FOR HELP...

posted: September 8th, 2008 - 2:04pm

QUESTION:
Live on the 12th floor; have outside hallways; air handler is in closet in my unit and condenser is in vented room down the hallway. Have new units, air handler recently had expansion valve replaced with "bleeder" valve to alleviate problem with pressure delaying start of compressor. Now am having terrible odor problem, not a mildew smell but a machine or chemical-type odor. It is pumped in at two specific times during the cycle; worst is near end of cycle about two minutes before unit shuts off, and it continues to "leak" in after unit is off and during time "bleeder" valve is releasing pressure (I can hear it jingling). Other time is near beginning of cycle, maybe about two minutes in, when I feel first real cool air.
Odor is making me nauseated and making me cough. My company cannot smell the odor and cannot identify what is wrong. Never, never had this odor before its recent sudden onset. I am desperate for help. Thank you anyone who can give me some clues.

ANSWER: Dead animals in ductwork or near the living space. If the odor is present ALL the time, especially during heat, the problem is NOT a dirty sock syndrome complaint. Dirty sock complaints only smell when the indoor coil gets cool and the bacteria releases its odor into the air stream. The Dirty Sock Syndrome plagues 0.5 to 2 percent of heat pumps in the southern states, with Texas being on the lower side of the percentage. The syndrome is not brand specific, with all manufacturers acknowledging complaints. The problem itself is sporadic and limited to isolated households and is somehow related to the living style or products in the home. This can be proven as Trane and other manufacturers have documented changing out systems with new product and the complaint returns. After removing a "stinky" unit from a complaint house, the unit can be cleaned and installed elsewhere without a complaint surfacing. Changing the brand of equipment is met with a similar lack of success.
Much effort and expense has been given by the industry to research and solve this syndrome. Once the problem has been properly identified, action can then be taken to resolve or reduce the complaint, starting with a thorough cleaning of the evaporator coil with a non-acid coil cleaner. Cleaning will bring the system back to normal and will usually prevent a complaint for the rest of the heating season. Some systems cleaned early in the season or those having more of a problem may have repeated problems during the same season, especially if the weather conditions force a system back and forth from heating to cooling. The majority of complaints are resolved with a thorough cleaning. If the coil cleaning does not resolve the complaint to a satisfactory level, the next suggested action would be to clean the coil again and apply a coating of Alathene II, a special spray designed to continuously protect coils from fouling caused by airborne contaminates. If seasonal cleanings or the application of Alathene II does not resolve the complaint, as a last resort, your coil may need to be replaced.