Air conditioning Musty Smell

[glojo]

A friend of mine has just commented on how his air conditioning smells 'musty' when he first switches on the unit.

Has anyone any ideas on what the most common cause can be.

Filters?

Bunged up drain?

Thanks for any advice,
John

 

[Doodle]

Filter is normally the first culprit on this one, manufacturers normally recommend you replace them every year or so.

Otherwise he might have some nasty bugs growing inside the system somewhere, but a filter change is normally a quick and easy job and sorts it out.

 

[glojo]

Filter is normally the first culprit on this one, manufacturers normally recommend you replace them every year or so.

Otherwise he might have some nasty bugs growing inside the system somewhere, but a filter change is normally a quick and easy job and sorts it out.

Thanks very much for the speedy reply, that is certainly my first thought.

Regards,
John

 

[Will]

I think the pollen filter is probably a good idea (if it hasn't been changed for some time) but you can also get special anti-bacterial sprays specifically for this purpose.

Should be available from a motor factors or A/C specialist

Will

 

[glojo]

I think the pollen filter is probably a good idea (if it hasn't been changed for some time) but you can also get special anti-bacterial sprays specifically for this purpose.

Should be available from a motor factors or A/C specialist

Will

Thanks Will,
It is my young niece's husbands car and hopefully we will find the filter tomorrow and if needs be get the spray.

Good night everyone,
John

 

[rees_A]

I bought an anti-bacterial spray and new filter from e-bay, sorted out dodgy smell a treat. Car is now smelling lovely especially with a/c on.

 

[jimmy]

I sell the Comma A/C antibacterial spray buy the case load, it is really good and very easy to use, you can get it cheap enough at any motor factors, Halfords may even do it now too.

The first batch was great, left a really fresh, lemony smell that lasted for months. Now they have changed to a vanilla type perfume and is not quite so nice, they say it leaved that new car smell but we are not convinced, they say the cost of lemon perfume was too much!!

 

[glojo]

Thanks everyone for the excellent advice. I daren't mention the make of Astra!!! ooops.

I have done a little research and it looks like the pollen filter is located beneath the wiper motor?

Off to motivate the gang to get stripping. (the car)

Bye for now,
John

 

[Stratman]

Jonah the Pessemist writes:

The spray may have got rid of the smell (or more likely masked it) but the reason it ponged is still there. The drain is blocked. Think of other relatively cold surfaces (a window for instance) meeting warm air (inside your house ). Condensation is formed. The same thing happens in your car with the cold evaporator meeting warm air. Witness the occasional post asking why there is a pool of water under the car. If this water can't drain away then it stagnates and squillions of smelly bacteria grow in it. Yuk

Find the drain and clear the blockage. Deep down you know it's the real answer


Jonah.

 

[NMSL500]

Have to agree with the last post.
99 times out of a hundred the musty smell will be bacteria build up in the heat exchanger.
Not always caused by blocked drains although this is very common.
Many sprays and solutions available to sort this out, ebay is a good source but we can get it should you want any.

 

[glojo]

Have to agree with the last post.
99 times out of a hundred the musty smell will be bacteria build up in the heat exchanger.
Not always caused by blocked drains although this is very common.
Many sprays and solutions available to sort this out, ebay is a good source but we can get it should you want any.

Thanks very much indeed. As I mentioned in a previous post the car belongs to the husband of our niece. They are down here staying with us at present and I was hoping that there would be easy access to the filters and perhaps drainage, but........ I have no idea where the filter is located?

It would be brilliant if anyone does have a suggestion for a year 2000 Vauxhall Astra . There is a small removable panel on top of the dash, close to the windscreen, but I don't want to open my mouth and get it wrong.

Thanks again for the excellent advice,
John

 

[tamrsoft]

Where is the A/C drain outlet

Musty smells from the A/C seem a common problem, I have had it on both my Merc. My current car is a 2001 E220 CDi with a similar problem, I have tried two types of anti-bacterial spray, they helped but did not cure so I assume I may have a blocked drainage problem. Does anyone know how to locate the drain tube on this model. When working underneath on the exterior of the car, I notice on the exterior bulkhead above the transmission a sort of protruding rubber vent with a rubber flap across its mouth, is this it?