If your air purifier smells bad and you need to know the main causes so that you can remove the smell, you have come to the right place.
An purifier ought to clean your indoor air, not make it smelly! But for any appliance that sucks air inside and then releases it, many things could go wrong.
That is why on this blog, we look at certain appliances and their most likely problems.
For instance, we looked at problems that your pure enrichment humidifier is likely to experience.
In yet another post, we looked at possible reasons for your dehumidifier blowing cold air, and the solutions.
In this short post, we look at why your air purifier smells bad; the different smells and what causes them.
Air purifier smells bad: 8 causes
When your air-purifying unit starts making these nasty smells, you need to dig deeper and find out whether it is possible to stop them:
1. Air purifier smells like burning
For any appliance that runs on electricity, the smell of burning can happen and it can be such a big cause for concern. However, this does not always mean that it is burning.
The possible causes of the burning smell could include burning itself. Thus, if you notice that your air purifier smells like burning, first, unplug it.
Do not panic!
The dust that stays on the unit during packaging can smell like burning. Also, the smell could actually be the newness burning off.
But just in case it is a real burning smell…
Solution
Once you unplug it, smell the plug. If the device smells like burning, check the fuse. Smell the power cord. It is possible for a cable to burn and fall apart inside the coating.
Though rarely, the air purifier could actually be burning. If it is coming from inside the unit, you need to open it up and check it.
If the wiring was of poor quality, actual burning is possible.
2. Air Purifier Smells like Fish
If you think that your air purifier unit smells like fish, your olfactory senses are not failing you. It is indeed smelling nasty.
The possible causes for the fishy smell are mold and mildew growing on the filters. Yeast and bacteria are also notorious for causing such a nasty smell.
The remedy is to open up the appliance and check the filters. If your air is too damp and you do not run a dehumidifier, mold can certainly grow on the filters.
Solution
Change the filters as often as possible, of course depending on your air pollution. In some places, you might need to change the filters once a week.
If you live in Seattle or Florida, run a dehumidifier to maintain the required humidity level.
3. Air purifier ozone smell
If you have been asking: what does ozone smell like air purifier? It has a sharp and pungent smell, it is not exactly like ammonia or chlorine, but it is sharp.
If you experience such a smell, just know that your air purification unit is discharging ozone. But please note that not all types of air purifiers produce ozone.
HEPA filter units do not produce ozone. Only ionizing air purifiers produce ozone gas. Ozone can cause coughing, breathing difficulties, chest pains and other side effects.
Possible solution
Open the windows and doors so that the ozone can dissipate. But that is counterproductive because then, the air purity drops.
Thus, it is just better to shelf the ionizing unit and get a HEPA filter unit.
4. New air purifier smells Like Plastic
If you have a new unit, it is quite alright for it to smell like plastic. After all, the casing is mostly plastic, so if it is new, the device will have a plastic or chemical smell.
But that should dissipate with time. Depending on some things though, some may take longer to lose the smell.
Since the plastic odor is not harmful, we would say there is no need to worry about it.
5. Honeywell air purifier smells like wet dog
If your air purifier smells weird, say fishy or like a wet dog, there is yeast, fungi, bacteria or mold involved.
Thus, if you notice that your unit smells like a wet dog, it means the filters have mold. When you switch it on, it starts sucking air inside and blowing it out after passing it on the filters.
This is when you will experience a more pronounced wet dog smell.
When your air is too polluted and the humidity is high, grime and grease might form on the filters. This will cause a wet dog smell.
Many sources say that too much mold on the filters is the main culprit of the wet dog odor in your house.
So before you kick your canine friend out of the house on a hot summer day, smell the air purification unit to find out whether it is responsible for the odor.
6. Air purifier smells like dust
Since dust is one of the most common pollutants that you find almost anywhere, it is only logical to expect that some time; you will get a dusty smell from your unit.
Usually, this happens when the filters are too dirty and they are not doing their work correctly. If it has been some time since you last changed the filters, you will experience dusty air.
7. Vinegar odor from air-purifier
This is a weird odor from an air purifying unit, but some customers have reported it. Well, if you experience such a smell when the unit is new, you could be confusing the new chemical or plastic smell with vinegar.
In any case, it would be better to call the manufacturer or supplier because no unit is supposed to smell like vinegar.
8. Air Purifier Smells Like Smoke
If you notice the smell of smoke in the air coming from the purifier, there are possible causes.
One of them is that the air going inside has smoke and so the unit is not doing a very good job. Maybe the filters are not removing the smoke from the air.
Dyson Air Purifier smells bad
In the world of air purifiers, vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, Dyson is a very big brand name. However, as good as their air purifiers are, sometimes, they will fail to work as expected.
That is why we advise you to get the Dyson air purifier manual for your product. That way, you can diagnose some things on your own.
Their products are not cheap. For instance, they have the best air purifier for cigarette smoke, VOC and other pollutants removal. It can set you back almost $1000.
Dyson air purifiers are more advanced than those from other brand names. However, they still retain some of the basic features.
If you notice that your Dyson air purifier smells bad, check the filters. They could be dirty or it could be time to replace them.
If you need a unit from this brand name, order the Dyson HP01 Pure Hot + Cool, HEPA Air Purifier that you can buy on Amazon.com.
Air purifier smells like cigarettes
There are air purifiers that are specifically designed for removing cigarette smoke. However, you might be wondering whether yours smells like cigarettes.
Well, it could smell like cigarettes if it has been used in a house with one or more smokers.
Tobacco smoke has that habit of lingering behind on clothing and other surfaces. However, it should dissipate after some time.
If you smell the filters of the air purifier, they will smell like cigarettes if you have had smokers in the room.
Therefore, if you think that your unit smells like tobacco, don’t worry. That and the smell of new plastic are common in air purifiers.
Air Purifier smells bad FAQ
An air purifier will need careful looking after to keep working correctly. Here are more questions and answers regarding different air purifier smells:
How do I get rid of the smell in my air purifier?
First, identify what causes the smell. If the air purifier is new, the weird plastic smell will go away on its own.
Secondly, if the unit smells like burning, it could be overheating. Find out whether the unit is too small for your room and get an appropriately sized one.
Thirdly, if there is a musty smell, fish or wet dog smell, the filters need cleaning, and replacing! Check the Levoit air purifier instructions to know how often to change the filters.
Why is there a smell coming from my air purifier?
There are many causes of smell coming from your unit. When devices are new, they have this plastic smell, which dissipates when they are left in the open air after a couple of hours, or days.
Air purifier for cat litter comes with a carbon filter. All air purifiers designed to capture smells come with carbon filters.
These types of filters produce a certain smell when they get into contact with VOC (volatile organic compounds) such as formaldehyde.
Why does my HEPA filter smell bad?
HEPA filters are particularly good at capturing microbes, mold spores and other pollutants in the air.
However, when your leave the HEPA filters inside the air purifier and you keep it in storage a long time, the filters start to smell bad.
They do this because there isn’t fresh air going through them. They also trap microbes and if the humidity level is too high, the trapped things start causing a smell.
If the air purifier has been running and the HEPA filters smell, they have trapped a lot of mold spores, microbes, dust and other pollutants. It is time to clean or change them.
Remember, ignoring to clean the filters can cause mold toxicity symptoms, especially to people with compromised immunity.
Why does my air purifier smell like plastic?
First, it is made of many plastic parts, so it is rare to have it smell like metal.
Secondly, plastic material, including plastic wrapping usually gets this new smell. It should disappear with time. If you don’t like it, unbox the unit and keep it in the open air for some time.
The smell disappears faster that way.
Be sure to check my old posts on:
Can An Air Purifier Cause A Sore Throat?
Air Purifier Or Dehumidifier For Musty Smell?
Can You Use An Air Purifier In Summer?
Do Air Purifiers Make A Difference?
Is Air Purifier Good For Mold?
Air Purifier Not Turning On: Check The Power
Shark Air Purifier Keeps Turning Off
Final thoughts
If your air purifier smells bad or weird, you cannot use it comfortably since you want it to clean your air.
We hope that you can now tell what is causing these weird smells and how you can possibly avoid them.
Remember, to avoid some of these nasty smells from your air purifying units, you need to clean the appliance as often as recommended.
That way, you can note the condition of the filters and change them if need be.
