Car enthusiasts, who especially often use air conditioning, often face the problem of an unpleasant smell of air coming from the interior ventilation system. So you turn on the fan, and instead of the expected cool breeze, the smell of a trash can "sticks" into your nose. This unpleasant odor is especially strong in the case of high humidity. There are already two alternatives, either frying in the heat, or tolerating the smell, covering your nose with your hand. Although no, there is one more. Try to find the source of the odor and eliminate it. It is the question of where it comes from and about the alternatives to getting rid of this smell that we will deal with in this article.
In fact, the smell is the result of putrefactive processes, the multiplication of microorganisms on the surfaces of the vehicle ventilation system. Indeed, the most favorable place for bacteria to grow and for debris to accumulate is the air conditioner evaporator. In fact, an evaporator is a radiator that cools the air. Air is drawn in through the cabin filter or through the air intakes in the passenger compartment (if recirculation is enabled), then flows through the evaporator and into the passenger compartment. At the same time, the evaporator, like all radiators, has a very developed area and a complex shape, it is this feature that contributes to the fact that a large amount of dirt and dust accumulates on its surface. When the air conditioner is on, the evaporator is at a temperature lower than the ambient air, so condensation will form on it. When we arrive at the parking lot and turn off the air conditioner, moisture often remains on the evaporator, which, together with the dirt in it, is now heated to ambient temperature.
As a result, we have all the factors for the multiplication of bacteria, the occurrence of rotting on the evaporator - these are water and dirt. So you get a smell that is not called as soon as: a wet rag, the smell of the refrigerator and, jokingly, the smell of an old Japanese.
Of course, bacteria accumulate on other elements of the ventilation system, fungus multiplies, but this is less widespread. So, we figured out the source of the smell coming when the air conditioner was turned on, now we will consider options for getting rid of it.
How to get rid of the smell from the car air conditioner with your own hands?
The answer to this question is simple, but the solution is multifaceted. Of course, it is necessary to remove all debris from the ventilation of the car interior, or at least neutralize the bacteria living in its secluded corners. In order to properly clean the ventilation and get to the evaporator of the air conditioner, in some cases it is necessary to disassemble the dashboard, and this is not a desire to do, and sometimes it is not easy yet. An alternative to not disassembling the dashboard and not to go in search of malicious bacteria in the jungle of your car is the use of gas, foam and liquid antibacterial drugs. Of course, the effectiveness of such treatment is sick, and the relapse with an unpleasant odor is higher, but the labor intensity is much lower.
Get rid of the smell of the air conditioner with a gas antiseptic
One of the easiest ways to get rid of odor is with a gas antiseptic.
The sequence of its application is as follows. First of all, we turn on the air recirculation mode in the cabin, turn on the fan to the middle position. We find the holes through which the interior air is taken. As a rule, they are located at the feet of the driver and passenger. A lighter flame can be used to detect the flow of air. We base the balloon in such a way that the outgoing flow is directed into the duct. Next, we open the balloon.
We close the car and leave for 10 minutes. Processing is done.
If we talk about the pros, then this is a minimum of effort. If we talk about the cons, then the minimum efficiency.
This version of the antiseptic for cleaning the air conditioner resembles a cylinder with polyurethane foam and an extension tube.
Used in the following way. We remove the cabin filter and release the maximum volume of foam into the ventilation and air conditioning system.
Next, we start the engine and warm up the cooling system. The foam will expand a little more and pass further. We are waiting for the foam to settle, after about 10 - 15 minutes. Then we turn on the heater and work in different modes in order to dry the foam and draw in the antiseptic vapors into the system. The effectiveness of this method is slightly higher than the previous one. Here, the foam is applied locally and the concentration of the substance is higher, there is even a chance that it will reach the evaporator (if it is under the panel).
Treatment with a liquid antiseptic will require you to maximize penetration to the place where bacteria are located, as in other cases and in previous cases.
In order to prepare an antiseptic on your own, you must have:
- chlorhexidine - 500 ml 0.05%. (a medicine is used to process a medical instrument, the hands of a surgeon, for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases)
- alcohol can be added to this solution (1 part of alcohol to 5 parts of chlorhexidine)
- an aromatic fragrance can be added at your request.
Without high-quality steam formation of the antiseptic, the effectiveness of its use will be minimal. It is best to use a plant spray gun to spray into the system. The mixture is used for flushing the air ducts and the evaporator.
Vapors are sucked in through the recirculation air intakes when the fan is on. Further processing is carried out through the hole for installing the cabin filter, towards the evaporator, also with a running fan
Of course, there are specialized solutions in liquid form for flushing air conditioners. (example in the photo below)
Their main feature is a loyal effect on the materials of the evaporator, they do not react, do not oxidize the metal. If you use Comet, Domestos or their analogs, then in the future you may well fear for the serviceability and tightness of your evaporator. Household chemicals can damage the integrity of aluminum parts. That is, if you decide to flush with a liquid solution purchased from a store, then take a specialized composition.
And now the apogee in the methods of cleaning the evaporator and the ventilation system and, as a result, getting rid of the unpleasant odor by 100%. This method is irreplaceable if your evaporator is located in the back of the dashboard. You have to disassemble the ventilation system, clean the fins of the evaporator radiator, plastic body parts with a coating of dust and putrefactive fungus.
To clean aluminum parts, use the composition of the liquid described in the previous version (it does not matter if it was bought or made by yourself). You can use household chemicals to clean the plastic.
No matter how simple and at first glance effective the methods described above would be, but you will never extract the cause of the smell from the air ducts - organic matter (dust, insects, seeds, foliage), if they were there they will lie like a "time bomb" which will manifest itself again. The photo below shows what was discovered during the disassembly of the ventilation system, what the filter did not cope with, how much debris it passed to the evaporator.
Fungus on the walls of the ventilation system parts.
Fungus is sometimes very difficult to destroy even with direct contact, and it is even more difficult to do it remotely. Disassembling and cleaning everything is the most effective, but the most time-consuming way for those who want to get rid of an unpleasant odor.
Tips for preventing unpleasant odors when you turn on the air conditioner in your car
First of all, watch out for the cabin filters. Filters must do their job effectively. If possible, even in the interval between the replacement of the cabin filter, pull it out and remove dirt and dust from it. The use of quality filters is also related to filter efficiency. So sometimes, having saved, we buy a non-original filter. There is nothing to worry about if the filter is made in accordance with the dimensions of the original. There are times when the filter has obvious gaps through which an alternative, uncleaned air stream will enter, such a filter is evil, and the savings are doubtful.
The second is a simple rule. Dry the evaporator before leaving the vehicle for long periods of time. To do this, it is prudent to turn off the air conditioner in advance, 3-5 minutes before arrival at your destination. Do not turn off the fan until the end of the trip. Warm air will dry out the evaporator, rid it of moisture, and accordingly, bacteria will deprive them of the opportunity to comfortably reproduce in the womb of the car.
CLEANING THE AIR CONDITIONING EVAPORATOR (TIPS FOR OWNERS)
Every owner of a car with air conditioning or climate control sooner or later faces the problem of an unpleasant smell when the air conditioner starts. Even if you do not smoke in the cabin of your car, unpleasant odors are still coming from the evaporator. This is due to the fact that the moisture collected on the evaporator at the time of its operation is a factor contributing to the development of various bacteria, which, in turn, are the source of unpleasant breaths. By the way, the same is true for home split systems and air conditioners.
So:
Over time, all owners of air conditioners in their cars ask the same question: what does it smell (stink) in my car? Why, when you turn on the ignition, when the fan starts to work, does not a stream of incense strike your face? Air conditioning services answer unequivocally harmoniously: wash the evaporator (this is the thing that, one might say, cold and produces: air passes through it and, cooling down, blows into our face and legs). And the price is coherently named: $ 70-90. Although, the answer, which contains only part of the answer, is alarming. Coordinatedly they answer that the procedure lasts 4 hours. All they managed to find out from them is:
1. The system is not disassembled.
2. Do not refill.
3. The client will immediately feel the difference.
What and how can they do during this time? Knowing our services, one and a half hour can be safely devoted to accepting an order and handing over the work to the client. It will take up to an hour to find a free box and roll the car back there / roll it to the client. From half an hour, you can safely take the servicemen to prepare themselves for work and to remove traces of dirty robes from the seats of cars. An hour will remain. Well, let it be two. Since disinfection of the evaporator is required, it still needs to be reached. This is also the time - half an hour will be enough for those in the know to get to the evaporator and return everything to its place. This means that the procedure itself is simple and short-lived.
So what can you do to eliminate odor?
Why in the summer, when we turn on the fan after parking the car in the sun or in the heat (especially after a short parking), a wave of smell hits our face, comparable to the one that you felt when you opened the washing machine, in which there was damp laundry you forgot a week ago?
First, about the origin, about the source of the smell.
When we turn off the engine, the air conditioner turns off. Both the cold air ducts and the evaporator get wet hot air from the street. Getting on the cold parts of the air ducts and the evaporator, moisture instantly condenses from the air. And it would be okay only water. The moisture content is wide. Moisture mixes with dirt and dust in the system, moisturizing mold, mildew and bacteria that are inevitably there. So much for the smell. When the air conditioner is running, moisture is forcibly carried into the passenger compartment and dries the air ducts. But part of it remains when the fan is turned off. And with each subsequent switch on, moisture is added, multiplying the bacterial colonies. And over the years, the smell exceeds the tolerance threshold of our nose.
What can I do to prevent the problem?
The first obvious answer is to keep the system dry, turning off the air conditioner if possible shortly before we arrive at the parking lot. This will allow the condensed moisture to dry out with a stream of warm air and reduce the subsequent moisture condensation by increasing the temperature of the air ducts. But this will not solve the existing odor problem.
This suggests a solution to the problem suggested by the services - disinfection. That is, killing bacteria.
How can this be done and how can services do it? It is clear that chlorine will solve all problems. But riding in a gas mask dramatically reduces the driver's vision. Let's turn to medical institutions and ask how they disinfect everything that is supposed to disinfect?
Answer: LIZOL, aka CRESOL solution on a soap-oil base. It is used for disinfection of surgical instruments, hands before surgery, operating rooms and toilets, among other things! And also for the destruction of flies, the source of cholera, etc. What kind of miracle is this that surpasses everything known (and even chlorine!) In its disinfecting properties? This is phenol. And it is on the basis of this phenol that professional preparations are produced for disinfection of air conditioners in cars, schools, hospitals, motels, etc. And these professional products cost up to $ 40 for 12 pieces of 250 gram cans! Those. for 3 liters. For one treatment of the car, the manufacturer recommends using ½ cans of funds. Well, let's say, on services for reliability, they use one aerosol can. I am silent further.
So what should we do?
1. Get LIZOL-concentrate or LIZOL-containing solutions (sometimes even with odors!).
2. Dilute pure LIZOL in a ratio of 1: 100 (the surgical instrument is disinfected at 1:20) to obtain 300-400 ml. solution.
3. Pour the solution into a hand sprayer or an empty glass cleaner jar, add perfume if desired.
4. Open all windows in the car wide open.
5. Start the car, turn on the air conditioner at full capacity, turn on the fan as much as possible. Direct the air stream in the passenger compartment towards the face / legs, lowering the nozzles.
6. Get out of the car and spray the product into the air intake openings at the windshield from the spray nozzle. Try not to save money and not to spray, but to spray fog: this should be done by a normal sprinkler. It was the disinfection of air ducts, which services do not write about (they only talk about the evaporator).
7. Turn off the engine. We wait about ten minutes - let lysol fight an unequal battle for bacteria.
8. We start the engine (we did not touch the air conditioner and the fan - they start to work with might and main). We open the car from the passenger side. We turn on the internal air recirculation (we close the air access from the street). The windows are open. We spray, without skimping, water dust under the feet of the passenger, under the glove box (glove compartment). There is an air intake in recirculation mode. Air enters the evaporator and continues through the system. If possible, it would be nice to get to the evaporator itself and pour it abundantly. But it will work that way (with such and such a cost of the procedure and the possibility of regular repetition!). Switch off ignition. If necessary (if it still pesters the smell), repeat every other day.
And that's it! We enjoy clean air.
By the way, this product is even used to eliminate grill odors in restaurants! Clean air for everyone!
It is so nice to feel the refreshing breeze from the air conditioner of your car on a hot and sultry day, but sometimes it happens that it is better to sit in the heat than to inhale the stench of delight with an unpleasant breeze, because it happens that the air conditioner in the car stinks so that the smell of which you can lose and consciousness. This happens when dangerous bacteria form on the fins of the internal evaporator of the air conditioner.
Over time, all owners of air conditioners installed in cars ask the same question: what smells or stinks in my car? Why, when the ignition is turned on, when the fan starts to work, a stream of far from incense and not a pure stream of air hits your face? This question also appears in the conference "air conditioners". There, air conditioning services respond to it unequivocally: flush the evaporator (this is a device that, one might say, produces cold, air passes through it and, cooling down, blows through the channels into the interior). And the price is also coherently called: 70 - 100 $ USD. Although, the answer, which contains only a part of the answer, is alarming. They also agree that the procedure lasts about 4 hours. All that they managed to learn from the answers at the conference is the following information:
1. the system is not disassembled;
2. do not refill;
3. The client will immediately feel the difference.
Since I have the same attitude to air-conditioned ones, and I feel sorry for money, I asked myself: what and how can they do during this time? Knowing our services, one and a half hour can be safely devoted to accepting an order and handing over the work to the client. It will take up to an hour to find a free box and roll the car back there and roll it to the client. From half an hour, you can safely devote to preparing the servicemen themselves for work and removing traces of dirty robes from the seats of cars. An hour will remain. Well, let it be two. Since disinfection of the evaporator is required, it still needs to be reached. This is also the time - from half an hour for those in the know, it will be enough to get to the evaporator and return everything to its place. This means that the procedure itself is simple and not long.
So what can you do to eliminate odor? What smells like that inside a car?
Why in the summer, when we turn on the fan after parking the car in the sun or in the heat, especially after a short parking, a wave of smell strikes our face comparable to the one that you felt when you opened the washing machine in which there was even a slightly damp laundry you forgot a week ago?
First, about the origin, about the source of the unpleasant odor in the car
When we turn off the engine, the air conditioner turns off. Both the cold air ducts and the evaporator get wet hot air from the street. Getting on the cold parts of the air ducts and the evaporator, moisture instantly condenses from the air. And it would be okay only water. The composition of moisture and dampness is wide and smelly. Moisture or dampness mixes with the dirt and dust in the system, dampening mold, mildew and bacteria that are inevitably there. So much for the smell of dampness from the air conditioner in the car. When the air conditioner is running, moisture is forcibly carried into the passenger compartment and the air ducts are dried. But part of it remains when the fan is turned off. And with each subsequent switch on, moisture is added, multiplying the bacterial colonies. And over the years, the smell exceeds the tolerance threshold of our nose.
What can I do to resolve the odor elimination problem?
The first obvious answer is to keep the system dry, turning off the air conditioner if possible shortly before we arrive at the parking lot. This will allow the condensed moisture to dry out with a stream of warm air and reduce the subsequent moisture condensation by increasing the temperature of the air ducts. But this will not solve the existing odor problem.
This suggests a solution to the problem suggested by the services - disinfection. That is, killing harmful bacteria.
How can this be done and how can services do it? It is clear that chlorine will solve all problems. But riding in a gas mask dramatically reduces the driver's vision. Let's turn to medical institutions and ask how they disinfect everything that they are supposed to disinfect?
Answer: LIZOL, aka KREZOL solution on a soap-oil base. It is used to disinfect surgical instruments, hands before surgery, operating rooms and toilets, among other things. And also the destruction of flies, the source of cholera, and so on, so on, so on. What kind of a miracle is this, surpassing everything known and even chlorine in its disinfecting properties. This is such a phenol. And it is on the basis of this phenol that professional preparations are produced for disinfecting air conditioners in cars, schools, hospitals, motels, etc. And these professional funds cost up to $ 40 USD for 12 pieces of 250 gram cans, i.e. for 3 liters. For one treatment of the car, the manufacturer recommends using ½ cans of funds. Well, let's say, services use one aerosol can for reliability ...
So what are we car enthusiasts to do?
We will consider the solution to this problem in more detail.
1. Get LIZOL - concentrate or LIZOL-containing solutions (sometimes even with odors).
2. Dilute pure LIZOL in a ratio of 1: 100 (the surgical instrument is disinfected at 1:20) to obtain 300-400 ml. solution (this is what kind of savings).
3. Pour the solution into a hand sprayer or an empty glass cleaner can, add perfume if desired.
4. Open all the windows in the car wide open.
5. Start the car, turn on the air conditioner to full, turn on the fan as much as possible. Direct the air stream in the passenger compartment towards the face / legs, lowering the nozzles. Since, theoretically, the solution can still pass through the system and remain a solution and get on the glass and seats, we are taking measures to prevent this. But, who knows how the material in the salon, leather or velor will behave, although this miracle is used by the bourgeoisie and in kindergartens on furniture and carpets.
6. Get out of the car and spray from the nozzle into the air intake openings at the windshield. Try not to save money and not to spray, but to spray fog - this should be done by a normal sprinkler. Since we all love our cars, I would test in an inconspicuous place the effect of the solution on paint and glass. You can simply cover it with a newspaper rag so that there are no drips of water on the hood. It was the disinfection of air ducts (which services do not write about - they only talk about the evaporator).
7. We turn off the engine. We wait about ten minutes - let lysol fight an unequal battle (unequal for bacteria).
8. We start the engine (we did not touch the air conditioner and the fan, they start to work with might and main). We open the car from the passenger side. We turn on the internal air recirculation (we close the air access from the street). The windows are open. We spray without stingy water dust under the feet of the passenger, under the glove box (glove compartment). There is an air intake in recirculation mode. Air enters the evaporator and further through the system. If possible, it would be nice to get to the evaporator itself and pour it abundantly. But it will work that way (with such and such a cost of the procedure and the possibility of regular repetition). Switch off ignition. If necessary (if the smell pesters anyway), repeat every other day.
And that's it! We enjoy clean, fresh air in the cabin of your car.
Our experienced team of editors and researchers contributed to this article and reviewed it for accuracy and completeness.
The number of sources used in this article:. You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.
You don't have to close your nose and put up with the weird, musty smell that comes on when you turn on the air conditioner. Most likely, plaque and mold have appeared in the air conditioning system due to high humidity. This dampness occurs naturally and is an integral part of the car, but stagnant moisture can cause mold. When air passes through the evaporator and into the car, it raises mold spores, which feed on the moisture. Fortunately, they are easy to remove and your car will smell like new again.
Note: This article looks at options for dealing with moldy, unnatural odors (such as old socks, wet dog, and the like). Contact a workshop immediately if you smell burning or chemicals.
Steps
Removing the smell from the air conditioning system
- During this, the car doors must be closed. It is necessary to ensure that all disinfectant liquid enters the system.
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Start the car, turn on the air conditioning system and turn on the fan at full speed. This will start air circulation and solve the problem of cleaning the air ducts. For best results, keep the fan at maximum speed.
Locate the recirculation ventilation duct and spray a large amount of the product into it; the air conditioner should be running during this. The location of the channel can be found in the vehicle owner's manual. It is usually found near the feet on the driver's side, near the dashboard, or in the trunk. A small button on the dashboard with arrows pointing to the inside of the circle stops the air supply to the car from the outside, and instead activates the recirculation mode inside the cabin. Press the button, if present, and then spray the cleaner into the vent to circulate the cleaning fluid throughout the system.
Change the air conditioning mode from the "maximum" value to the maximum ventilation mode. It is necessary to obtain a strong flow of air, which should not be too cold. This prevents additional moisture condensation.
If the smell persists, contact a specialist. Don't ignore the smell if it doesn't go away. Nothing will be resolved by itself. Show the car to a technician who can determine that the smell is not the cause of something more serious and can deal with the problem before it develops into more than just an unpleasant odor.
Buy a disinfectant to combat plaque and mildew, such as a specialized air duct cleaner. Dedicated chemical sprays work best for strong odors, but small problems (or as a preventative measure) can help eliminate a harmless disinfectant spray like Lysol.
You can also make a natural vinegar and water spray with your own hands. Mix one part white vinegar with three parts water, then transfer to an old spray bottle or solvent bottle. Although vinegar does not have the most pleasant smell, it effectively fights mold naturally and removes it quickly.
Switch off the vehicle, switch off the interior fan and air conditioning. Move both switches to the off position and check that the engine is not running.
Spray disinfectant into each duct. Also, do not forget about the ventilation ducts located at the feet of the rear passengers, which usually carry a large amount of air. There are also vents on the dashboard and just below the bottom of the windshield.
This article is about how to eliminate unpleasant and suffocating odor from your car air conditioner. The problem most often manifests itself in used cars or after a year of operation. So, what could be the cause of this eerie smell, if you can call it that? And the reason is simple - the multiplication of fungi and bacteria on the evaporator of the air conditioner. The first thing to check is the car's cabin filter. If it is standing, then it must be thrown away, just thrown away, not washed or washed, since it may contain a large number of harmful bacteria, which cannot be removed. The filter was replaced, the smell remained. What to do next? There is a way out here as well. And you don't need to buy any expensive super foams and the like. However, it should be noted that this method works if the evaporator is not very dirty. That is, no dirt layer is visible on the evaporator. Although this can be eliminated. Let's go in order. The first step is to find where the cabin filter is located and take it out. In some vehicles, the evaporator radiator is visible behind the filter. Having illuminated with a flashlight, we estimate the degree of its pollution. If it is clean, good, close the filter cover without installing the filter! Next, we need chlorhexidine, which is an antiseptic. Sold in any pharmacy as a solution. For 150 ... 200 grams of warm water, pour 50 ml of antiseptic. We take a regular sprayer and pour the solution into it. Now, switch the air intake from the outside, the air flow to the legs and face. We open all the doors wide and cover the front seats. The air conditioner must be turned off, the temperature is at a minimum. We turn on the fan at full power and spray the solution at the air intake. We repeat the procedure two or three times, with a break of 15 ... 20 minutes. At the end of the treatment, we dry the system without sprinkling anything into it. We check for odors in working order. In most cases, these measures are enough to eliminate all odors. Nevertheless, if the smell remains, then you can clean the evaporator directly with the same solution, this is done with a toothbrush. The brush is moistened in the solution, then the evaporator radiator is thoroughly cleaned. Rinsing with water is not required. It is recommended to carry out this procedure twice a year, in spring and autumn. This will get rid of unpleasant odors and eliminate pathogenic microorganisms from the air ventilation system. To add to all of the above, I would also like this, with very strong contamination of the evaporator, it is necessary to resort to special preparations sold in stores. But it is also not worth getting carried away with them - this is chemistry. After treatment with a special substance, it is enough, as I wrote, to take preventive measures twice a year and forget about the “choking” air conditioner.
