You turn on your air conditioner and you smell......dirty gym socks. What is happening? While "Dirty sock syndrome" sounds like a colloquialism, it's the official term heating and air conditioning professionals use for this problem. The odor comes from your vents, fills your house, and resembles the smell of a sweaty gym locker room. Needless to say, this is not a problem anyone wants, especially when trying to relax in their own home.
What Causes Dirty Sock Syndrome?
Dirty sock syndrome is caused by bacterial buildup on your HVAC coils. Unfortunately, you won't be aware the buildup is there until the odor begins to form.Generally, the odor happens when one of two things occurs:
- Your heat pump goes into defrost mode for the first time that season. This generally happens the first time the temperature goes below 40 degrees in the fall or early winter.
- Your system is switching back and forth from heating settings to cooling settings in the same day. This is more likely to be a problem in Austin, where winters are mild, but spring can give an extended period of seventy or eighty-degree daytime temperatures, whilst still dropping into the fifties at night.
Essentially, the temperature of the coils drops and humidity increases. The buildup of bacteria then produces this smell. The smell will go away if the system is run entirely on heat or entirely on cold for a while; however, this only fixing the symptom, not the problem.Gas furnace systems are generally not prone to dirty sock syndrome because the higher temperatures prevent the bacteria from building up. Also, not every system develops dirty sock syndrome. It is more likely to occur if there are high levels of humidity in the home, or if you have pets. The issue is also most common in the Southeastern region of the U.S.
Does It Mean My System Is Broken?
No. Dirty sock syndrome is not a symptom of mechanical/electrical issues with the system itself.
Can It Affect My Health?
Dirty sock syndrome, while unpleasant, is generally not dangerous. However, it can cause problems for asthmatics and people with a weakened immune system. The problem can also spread through your ducts, resulting in a much greater health threat. If ignored, the spread through the system can become expensive to address.While mold in your ducts can cause coughing and wheezing, even in otherwise healthy people, dirty sock syndrome has to go untreated for quite some time before becoming dangerous.
Can I Get Rid of Dirty Sock Syndrome Myself?
We don't recommend attempting to get rid of dirty sock syndrome on your own. Instead, we recommend calling our team of experts. To prevent the problem from returning, we recommend having the Nu-Calgon "iWave R" product installed. A fairly new but proven product, iWave R prevents dirty sock syndrome instead of just providing a temporary solution that needs to be repeated every year.
How Can I Keep It From Coming Back?
You should make sure your ducts are properly sealed to help keep out microbes and spores (this will also lower your bills), consider upgrading to a more efficient filter (especially if somebody in the house has allergies or asthma), and have your system inspected and cleaned regularly. Make sure that you have your filters changed at the frequency recommended by the manufacturer. If you also have other problems associated with high humidity, installing dehumidifiers can be helpful.If your HVAC system appears to have dirty sock syndrome, especially if you tried cleaning it yourself and it didn't help, you should contact an HVAC professional. At Stan's Heating, Air & Plumbing, we have the right expertise to confirm that dirty sock syndrome is the problem, fix it, and help ensure that the problem does not return. Contact us to schedule an appointment, so we can look at your HVAC system and get things smelling sweet again as quickly as possible. All of our repair estimates are free and come with no obligation!
FAQs
Dirty sock syndrome is caused by bacterial buildup on your HVAC coils. Unfortunately, you won't be aware the buildup is there until the odor begins to form. Generally, the odor happens when one of two things occurs: Your heat pump goes into defrost mode for the first time that season.
How do you fix dirty sock syndrome in HVAC? ›
Fixing and Preventing Dirty Sock Syndrome
- Step 1: Change the filter. First, you want to remove the old air filter and replace it with a brand-new one. ...
- Step 2: Clean the drip pan. ...
- Step 3: Schedule duct cleaning. ...
- Step 4: Schedule evaporator coil cleaning. ...
- Step 5: Consider indoor air quality equipment installation.
When you switch to heating in fall, the microbial slime dries out. As the weather grows colder, at some point, the HVAC system will run a defrost cycle in between periods of heating. It's this switching back and forth between heating and cooling that causes the mold and bacterial slime to emit a foul odor.
What is dirty sock syndrome symptoms? ›
Dirty sock syndrome typically happens when you first turn on your AC for the summer season. This is where you will notice that your HVAC smells musty. The causation is a buildup of dirt, mildew, and moisture in the evaporator coil. This build-up allows for the growth of bacteria and mold.
Will dirty sock syndrome go away on its own? ›
Because Dirty Sock Syndrome is caused by a dirty evaporator coil, you'll need to schedule an air conditioning repair with an HVAC contractor. Your AC repair will involve either cleaning your AC system's evaporator coil or replacing it, depending on how dirty the evaporator coil was.
What is the best cleaner for dirty sock syndrome? ›
This is why Nu-Calgon Bio-Fresh is the chosen cleaner for Dirty Sock Syndrome. Bio-Fresh is a ready-to-use bacteriostat, fungistat and deodorizer based upon chlorine dioxide technology. It is recommended for control of bacteria, mold, mildew, fungi and yeast in indoor air quality applications.
What is a new solution found for dirty sock syndrome? ›
"A lot of air conditioning contractors are going to ultraviolet (UV) to solve Dirty Sock because it kills mold, mildew, and bacteria," said Debien. "Several manufacturers are also offering it as an option.
Is dirty sock syndrome harmful? ›
If your air conditioner has dirty sock syndrome, you may be concerned about whether or not it can be harmful to you or your family members. Thankfully, most of the mold and mildew that grows is not detrimental to your health. However, DSS can pose a risk to individuals that have compromised immune systems.
Is dirty sock syndrome covered by warranty? ›
Is “Dirty-Sock Syndrome” a manufacturer warranty issue? Is it an installation problem, making the contractor liable? The answer to these 2 questions is “Absolutely Not.” Manufacturer warranties cover deficiencies in material and workmanship.
Will a UV light fix dirty sock syndrome? ›
While proper filtering and use of a UV air purifier are good preventatives, they are not ideal solutions, once Dirty Sock Syndrome has set in. UV air purifiers will only kill what the light can reach, meaning they will miss the bacteria hiding in the nooks and crannies of your air conditioner.
Dirty Sock Syndrome tends to occur and reoccurs during the Colder seasons. Simply put, your HVAC system isn't seeing much action. There are only short calls for cooling or heat. If there's moisture on the coil, it will linger there in between cycles and encourage bacterial growth.
What causes dirty sock smell in house? ›
Does your home or building ever smell like dirty socks? If so, this unpleasant smell has a name; it's usually caused by mold and bacteria in your HVAC system. It can be removed and prevented with the right steps.
How can you prevent second sock syndrome? ›
How to Fight Second Sock Syndrome
- 1 – I Really, Really Want Those Socks. ...
- 2 – I Cast on the Second One as Soon as I Finished the First One. ...
- 3 – I Don't Allow Myself to Cast on Anything New Until I've Finished the Pair. ...
- 4 – Don't Put It Away. ...
- 5 – Choose an Interesting and Complex Pattern.
The air filter becomes damp, and mold spores, and bacteria begin to grow. A simple solution is to remove the air filter and replace it with a new one. You may see mold spores or notice a musty smell coming from the old one. The dirty sock smell might improve within hours of replacing the filter.
What causes dirty sock syndrome HVAC? ›
Mold & Bacteria in the System are the Cause of Dirty Sock Syndrome. The smell of Dirty Sock Syndrome is a direct result of decaying organic material leading to mold, mildew, and bacteria buildup in your cooling unit. Typically the specific component at fault is your unit's evaporator coil.
Why does my AC smell like feet in my house? ›
Dirty Socks or Smelly Feet
It occurs when mold and bacteria build up on the evaporator coil or other areas of your air conditioning system due to long periods of inactivity or when your condensate drain line is clogged. Fortunately, this is usually not a dangerous issue.
Will an UV light fix dirty sock syndrome? ›
While proper filtering and use of a UV air purifier are good preventatives, they are not ideal solutions, once Dirty Sock Syndrome has set in. UV air purifiers will only kill what the light can reach, meaning they will miss the bacteria hiding in the nooks and crannies of your air conditioner.
How do you treat sweaty sock syndrome? ›
Treatment consists of using cotton socks, thick emollients as barrier agents and medium-strength topical corticosteroids. The disorder is thought to be exacerbated by excessive sweating and occlusive footwear (tight, non-breathable shoes), so it tends to subside in the summer months.
How do you restore dirty socks? ›
Your best bet is to give your socks a soak in a warm sink filled with a liberal sprinkling of baking soda for several hours. Then, after wringing them dry, wash them in your machine by adding 150-200 ml of baking soda to the detergent drawer, along with your normal powder or liquid.
