AboutHoward Livingston Expertise Can answer questions on electrical control circuits, power supply,airflow & distribution, electrical components,refrigerant problems,gas, electric & propane furnaces.No boiler or refrigerator or oil fired furnaces experience.Just HVAC questions please.
Experience 35 years experience in residential & light commercial repair & installation.
Question Mr. Livingston,
I am hoping you can give me some direction concerning a problem with my
Central A/C unit. I live in CA, in the East Bay valley, where it gets over 100
degrees about 30 days a year. I live in a two-story condo with central heat
and A/C. It's my brother's house - for years he refused to run the A/C
because he sees it as being a mortal weakness. When I moved in last August,
I started running the A/C just enough to take the edge of the heat. When I
first began running the unit, I noticed the faint smell of natural gas filling the
house - gas, or fumes, or something - I cannot find answers doing research
of what the problem might be, let alone how to fix it. I've searched municipal,
federal and private websites and to my surprise, there is no reference to such
a problem. One night, last summer, I let the unit run through the night and
woke up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and dizzy, and I knew it
was the A/C. Don't be alarmed, I'm an RN so I'll take responsibility for the
risk of poisoning myself with the A/C. I thought it might be from lack of use,
but now, this summer, the problem is back. In fact, it has occurred 100% of
the time, no matter the intensity or duration of usage, and seems to
accumulate with minutes of usage. I don't know what the specifics of the unit
are besides that it's a 4x4x2 box on legs on the side of the house, my two
neighbors have identical units but no complaints, and the labels have all been
painted over. What's the gas, and how would I go about fixing it? Thank you
so much for your time, Travis
Answer Glad its not CO are you'd be a goner. Couldn't smell it anyway. Is the furnace a gas unit ?? You didn't say. But if it is you bnetter test the gas lines & connections in & out of the furnace. The oderant in natural gas is unmistakeable. But also, if the unit has sat idle for a long time there may be mold & stuff in the drain pan for the condensate drain from the evbaporator coil. Best check both of these sources.
