My Haier HPN12XCM Portable Air Conditioner, 12000-BTU air conditioner produces a horrible smell whenever it is in fan mode after I run it in AC mode.
To reproduce the problem, I do the following:
- Run the AC unit in AC mode for 20 minutes. No smell.
- Turn off AC mode and turn on fan mode. Smell slowly fades in over about 2 minutes.
- A horrible smell will occur for approximately 20 minutes and then go away. It appears for longer if the AC unit has been running for longer.
Interestingly, if I turn AC mode back on, the smell disappears within 1 minute.
I've attempted to disassemble the unit to find the problem. Some very minor damage was present to the coils on the lower half and those coils, when rubbed with a paper towel, produced the smell of rotten eggs on the paper towel.
The smell is not easily identifiable when it's in the air, but if anything, I would guess that it smells like a mixture of butt and that awful oil smell you sometimes find on railings outside.
What I've tried to fix the problem:
I've attempted to run the unit for 7 straight days in fan mode to no avail. When I ran the AC unit for 20 minutes after that, the problem reappeared.
Unfortunately, this makes my portable AC unit inoperable, since it needs to be in fan mode for 2-3 minutes before AC mode kicks in and the smell does not go away when the unit has been off for a while. The smell is so awful that it sticks in the room for hours afterwards even if it only runs for 2-3 minutes.
I've also tried unplugging both of the rubber plugs on the back. On a humid day, one produced a small amount of liquid. Today, despite the smell, no liquid. Also the lint filter on the outside of the unit has no lint on it.
This unit is a rental from my apartment complex. I've tried switching out the unit but they both had the exact same problem.
What could be causing this smell? Is there a way to fix it?
Best Answer
I'd be careful with cleaners, the manual online specifically says not to use any harsh cleaners. Personally, I'd use my judgment on this though. I'm not sure how much you can get at the insides, but I'd try and brush the coils with an old toothbrush and warm water with a drop of dish soap.
I'd also see if I could clean the evaporation tank. Water condenses on the coils and drips down into the tank. Heat from running the unit should evaporate the water (just like your fridge) so it's normal not get much out of the drain hole. You should be able to take the lower drain out, spray warm water on the coils and see it drain out.
You should also wash the air filter weekly, it's collects dust and not just lint, so visual lint isn't a useful indicator of anything.
Personally, I'd never use the AC just in fan mode. If you want to just move air around, an actual fan is going to be more efficient.
If these are the only two rental units left from your apt complex, you might see if they'd buy a new one, or consider buying a new one yourself. It looks like a model similar to this is around $400, so depending on what you pay to rent it, it might be easy to recoup that cost in a short amount of time.