Is your air conditioner giving off some sweet aromatic smell that has a bit of a chemical touch to it as well? And you are unable to identify the problem going on with your conditioner. Well, let me tell you that it is what freon smells like, and it is toxic for your health.
The air conditioner is one of the crucial things that everyone needs in their homes and offices to maintain the temperature inside. If you also have one at your home, you can experience certain types of aroma, which include burning smells, gunpowder smells, rotten egg smell, sweetened chloroform smell, chemical or musty aromas.
Coming off such smells is the basic indicator that something is wrong with your AC and needs services. Contact your local AC contractor and get your problem fixed as soon as possible, especially when it smells like freon because these aromas are potentially toxic for your health.
Contents
What does Freon Smell Like?
Freon is a brand name generally used for refrigerants or chlorofluorocarbons used in air conditioners. These are of various types like R22, R134a, R404a, R290, etc., and every one of them smells different from others. Apart from that, it is proven through research that the sense of smell is different for every person as it depends upon the number of receptors in your nasal cavity.
For me, the smell of freon was slightly sweet and aromatic, but most people find it to be a sweet chloroform kind of smell. Well, some people also think of it, as Google suggests, as ammonia, cat urine, acetone, rotten eggs, propane kind of smell. Many may even confuse the smell with that of some kind of mold buildup.
R22 is the most potent kind of freon, which is damaging to humans and the environment. There was a ban on using this freon as a refrigerant for air conditioners. The law made for its ban is not used throughout the world, and new products now contain freons that are a little better for the environment yet lethal for humanity.
Is Freon Dangerous to Breathe?
Freon is indeed a toxic gas, and whenever you smell it, you should call the AC electrician as soon as possible. It is a tasteless and odorless gas, but you can still smell its sweetish smell, and its increased amount of inhaling just like other toxic fumes such as formaldehyde can be toxic for your lungs and other vital organs. Make sure your home is properly ventilated until the leakage is not properly checked and maintained.
In some exceptional cases, refrigerant poisoning can be done, mostly during abuse cases. In some cases, people tried to get high by huffing or inhaling freon at high levels as it gave a pleasurable feeling. Which can be responsible for damaging the health of such people
Sign and Symptoms of Freon Leak
The common signs and symptoms that you will observe during a freon leak depend upon the size of the leakage. You will face the following signs and symptoms;
- Headache
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Difficulty in breathing
- Burning sensation on your ear, nose, lips, and eyes
- Vision loss
- Ingestion
- Diarrhea
- Severe stomach pain
If there is a freon leak, that is an indication that your air conditioner is not doing well and is in the last stages of well-being. Once you repair that leak, there will be another one just a few days after or a month later, so it’s better to change your AC than taking risks.
Use of Freon in Air Conditioner
Freon is a chlorofluorocarbon and a refrigerant as well, which is in the gaseous phase at room temperature, but liquid forms when cooled a bit. It is helpful in the complete removal of excess heat present in the atmosphere of the inner part of the room and emits the heat on the outer side. Like petrol or gas, you never need to refill your refrigerant as it never dries out.
It moves within the air conditioner through several coils and lines. These coils and lines of condenser and evaporator are made up of copper. Due to damage in copper of this part, you will sense a sweet aromatic smell which means there is a leakage in the body of the Air conditioner.
Freon Leakage from AC
There are various signs that you will start noticing when your AC will have leakage. Some of these major signs are given below.
Less Air Flow
As soon as there is a leakage in the freon chamber, the cooling capacity of the air will decrease continuously. This will indicate that your air conditioner has less refrigerant left.
High Electric Bills
You will have electric bills but low efficiency of your conditioning system. It will take more and more energy but will produce low cooling.
Warm Air Blowing
Your AC will start blowing warm air instead of cooler air from its register. Whenever it happens, inform your AC electrician as your AC needs to be fixed.
Longer to Cool
It will take some time to cool down your room due to its slow processing. Due to less freon, it will be unable to do its work or function properly due to low efficiency.
Ice Buildup on Copper Wires
When your system has less refrigerant, the copper wires and evaporating lines try to absorb as much heat as possible. Due to this process, condensation occurs in the chamber, and ice build-ups are seen on these wires and evaporating lines. This is also a major indicator of freon leakage in the air conditioner.
FAQs
Is a Freon leak dangerous?
Freon is generally a tasteless and odorless gas that converts into liquid on condensation and is responsible for cooling. Freon is a poisonous gas and makes a countable impact on your health. Refrigerant poisoning is a serious condition that occurs due to huffing and can lead to difficulty breathing, headaches, and nausea.
What does bad Freon smell like?
A freon leak smells like sweet chloroform; it just smells like a coolant in your car and has a slightly sweet aroma. Freon leakage is very toxic for health and can cause damaging effects. If you think that you have a refrigerant leak, then talk to your air condition electrician as soon as possible to omit the issue arising due to leakage.
Can smelling Freon hurt you?
Smelling freon can hurt you as it is damaging to your body organs, especially vitals. It is a colorless and odorless gas in general, but it is responsible for giving you trouble while breathing. It can also irritate all exposed areas as it is a chemical and can cut off the oxygen supply from your lungs to the cells.
How do you know if you have a Freon leak?
You can easily learn freon leaks due to low airflow and warm air blowing through air conditioner registers. High electric bills and the building of ice on copper or evaporating pipes can be indicators for a freon lea freon leaks will take longer than normal as well in those conditions when your air conditioner is leaking.
What are the side effects of breathing in Freon?
Many signs and symptoms appear due to refrigerant poisoning. Most of them resemble just normal poisoning. These are following:
- Severe stomach ache.
- Vomiting or diarrhea.
- Difficult in breathing.
- Indigestion or heartburn.
- Swelling in your throat or sinuses.
- Severe pain in your nose, throat, or sinuses.
- Burning sensation on your exposed parts includes eyes, nose, ears, lips, or tongue.
- Loss of eyesight.
Conclusion
If you were interested in what freon smells like or how you will get to know that freon is leaking through AC, I think you came to the right place to get all the valuable information. I hope this article will provide you with a basic insight into how freon smells and how dangerous it could be. Don’t forget to inform the AC electrician as soon as you smell this scent coming from the AC. Stay safe and stay healthy.
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