AC Units Smelling Sour - Help Make It Stop

[Siúil a Rúin]

My air conditioner has taken to smelling like sour milk again. It happened last summer, so I turned it off and went without AC. Early this spring it was fine, but this morning when I turned it on, the stank is back. I think there is standing water going moldy inside, but it is hard to access the drain tray. I am in a second floor apartment and the AC unit is installed into the wall, so the outside of it cannot be accessed and I opened the front to see if the tray was accessible and I couldn't find a way. I bought a small dehumidifier I keep running next to it in hopes it would draw the water out, but it isn't enough. I'm off other social media, so I will be googling and checking answers here. Thought it was a timely topic that someone else might be dealing with over the summer.

The smell is quite extreme, so it's a serious enough issue to eliminate AC access.

 

[The Cat]

My air conditioner has taken to smelling like sour milk again. It happened last summer, so I turned it off and went without AC. Early this spring it was fine, but this morning when I turned it on, the stank is back. I think there is standing water going moldy inside, but it is hard to access the drain tray. I am in a second floor apartment and the AC unit is installed into the wall, so the outside of it cannot be accessed and I opened the front to see if the tray was accessible and I couldn't find a way. I bought a small dehumidifier I keep running next to it in hopes it would draw the water out, but it isn't enough. I'm off other social media, so I will be googling and checking answers here. Thought it was a timely topic that someone else might be dealing with over the summer.

The smell is quite extreme, so it's a serious enough issue to eliminate AC access.

you rent right? get ahold of your landlord or building superintendent.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Those things are supposed to be cleaned at the start and end of every season or they will build up mildew and mold inside, plus potential blockages which could lead to water leaking from the front. Your slacker ass landlord or property manager needs to get off their fat ass and do their fucking job. Ideally, they should be cleaned with a high power water hose, plenty of dish detergent, and bleach.

It is shameful what landlords get away with letting slide.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

you rent right? get ahold of your landlord or building superintendent.

I hesitate to contact my landlord for anything because I'm a year out of my lease, and so am technically supposed to sign a new one or pay an additional $80/month. Maybe they won't look at my paperwork if they come inside to fix it. Maybe they can fix it from the outside with a ladder.

But I guess I better for health reasons.

 

[Luminous]

If you could access it, I would have suggested putting bleach in it yourself. You took the filter out when you removed the cover, and that didn't help in possible access?

Otherwise, yeah, I'd ask the maintenance people. You deserve to have good living conditions.

 

[The Cat]

I hesitate to contact my landlord for anything because I'm a year out of my lease, and so am technically supposed to sign a new one or pay an additional $80/month. Maybe they won't look at my paperwork if they come inside to fix it. Maybe they can fix it from the outside with a ladder.

But I guess I better for health reasons.

the mold can kill you. I wouldnt take the chance.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Those things are supposed to be cleaned at the start and end of every season or they will build up mildew and mold inside, plus potential blockages which could lead to water leaking from the front. Your slacker ass landlord or property manager needs to get off their fat ass and do their fucking job. Ideally, they should be cleaned with a high power water hose, plenty of dish detergent, and bleach.

It is shameful what landlords get away with letting slide.

It is a poor facility and the building has some deeper issues, but they fix things as they come up rather than structural or preventive approaches. They don't seem ill-intentioned, but probably barely pass inspections with a little friendly wink since it's a small city/large town.

It's the same complex where i had extreme mold on first floor. Black mold oozed out of the spigots, and was growing on the wall in the bedroom closet after flooding issues from upstairs that completely drenched the bedroom. There is extensive cracking in pipes and mold in the systems. The management was really nice to me during that time, got me upstairs and free rent. It's not optimal, but not malicious. Something inbetween.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Maintenance came and sprayed foamy stuff in the front and then I insisted the stank is an ongoing issue, so he went and got some mold remover spray for the outside of the unit. I am supposed to wait a good hour or more before running it. I am very hopeful.