New Lennox Heat Pump, musty smell?

8 years ago

So, we added a supplemental Lennox Heat Pump because our 1965 home had a poorly designed HVAC. We put the Lennox in the attic and put all new ducting in the attic. We installed this on 9/15/15. I have found that it sometimes smells musty when the AC is running, sort of a wet towel smell when you know it is time to wash it. Having read about DSS both here and elsewhere, is it likely this is the case here or is this just a new system smell? I am shocked that this system is less than a month old and we might have run into this issue already. I think that the heat has only come on once or twice (I tested it once to see if warm air would come out). I have read that the mold or bacteria is initiated by the heater and the mold smell occurs when the AC turns on. Given we have barely had an opportunity to turn on the heat, is this really possible? And what should we do? We installed a Lennox 14HPX system.

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Comments (8)

dovetonsils
8 years ago
Can you go to the attic and check that the condensed humidity is draining properly? Maybe the installer can check it. It doesn't take long for a puddle of water to start smelling.
ionized_gw
8 years ago
You should have no smells associated with a new system. The installer should get on top of it before cooling season is over. Mold is a problem when moisture is generated in the cooling mode, not in heating mode. There are several potential causes so there are several possible solutions. The first step is to contact your installer. They should check the drainage. They can install a coated coil if they find no other solution to the problem.
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Hi Neo, I guess that's where we run into a problem - we're just not sure if we're paying a fair amount for the labor/material for the ductwork, but it seems like we'll just have to go on instinct on this one. The installer from Costco won't give us the cost of just the Lennox equipment, so we don't have that number as well =( I will definitely verify about the evap coil and the valv - good to know! The XP17 is a single stage - initially we looked at a 2 stage, but we didn't see the need for it, so decided on the XP17. Here's the electric rates for our area: Basic charge $7.00 per month Delivery charge 2.887 cents per kWh Energy charge, Winter (November through April billing cycles) First 800 kWh 4.356 cents per kWh Next 2,200 kWh 6.001 cents per kWh Over 3,000 kWh 7.220 cents per kWh Energy charge, Summer (May through October billing cycles) First 800 kWh 4.356 cents per kWh Next 900 kWh 6.001 cents per kWh Over 1,700 kWh 7.220 cents per kWh Given that we rarely go below freezing for sustained periods - I think a heat pump is perfect for our climate too (nor do we get heat extremes). Also, since we have NO heat at night typically (we turn the pellet stoves off), I think we'll be happy with even a cool 62 in our house! Thanks again for your help!
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tigerdunes
8 years ago
Doubt this is equipment issue due to being practically new, probably due to poor install. Coil and drainage of condensate should be checked.

IMO
energy_rater_la
8 years ago
does it smell like the attic?
Austin B
Original Author
8 years ago
So we had the installer back to look at it. The attic does not have a smell. And I have been running the fan all the time, but the smell only occurs when the AC runs. The installer opened it up and showed my wife that the coils looked clean and it did not smell. Ugh. It is pretty overpowering and it is frustrating that the guy did not own it. Should I call the manufacturer?
PRO
Blue Mountain Air Conditioning
8 years ago
it the way your thermostat is set up. it automatically tells the fan when to turn on and off. its called "Adaptive Recovery Intelligence". it runs periodically even when their is no need for cooling. when we install new ac systems we turn that irritating feature off. my father had the same problem with his unit and thought it was normal. one day I was visiting and noticed it immediately. I turn it off and my mother was so relieved.
dovetonsils
8 years ago
Austin, the fact that the smell only occurs when the A/C runs, not the fan-on mode leads me to believe more there is something wrong with the way the condensate is draining. Did anybody check that?

Just as an experiment, take the filter out and run the A/C and see if it smells.
Austin B
Original Author
8 years ago
dove tonsils - They did look at the drain and said it was OK. I took the filter out, and it still looked brand new, so I did not even change it.

Blue Mountain - I am not sure I follow. I have a Nest thermostat and have set the fan to always run (I like air movement). When the AC runs, the smell starts. Are your proposing that I change something with the fan and the smell will go away?

New Lennox Heat Pump, musty smell?

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New Lennox Heat Pump, musty smell?

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