A/C blowing chunks

[washerboy]

This is odd I'll admit...I have a large Frigidaire window unit in my dinning room. Last year towards the end of the summer I was finding what looked like chunks of potting soil on my dinning room table. I had moved a plant in the room and thought maybe some how the air current was catching the dirt in the plant and blowing it around the room. Well....Saturday it got up in the 80's and I had the gas stove on cooking for Easter...I turned the AC on for maybe 45 minutes and discovered the chucks of "dirt" were blowing out of the unit...has anyone a had a simialr problem? could it be something besides dirt? any suggetions?/thanks!!!!!

 

[circlew]

Could be pieces of some kind of insulation or gasket material from the machine.

 

[DADoES]

 
Mildew and dust chunks. The window unit in the office where I work does the same thing.

 

[washerboy]

gross!!! chunks of MILDEW!!! if that's the case how am I supposed to get that out?????

 

[revvinkevin]

I really doubt it's mildew.......

If it where mildew, it would stink every time you turn it on!

The same thing, dirt blowing out, has happened with the large, wall mounted window A/C unit here in my office. Because the "filters" on these A/C units are very poor at best, over time fine particles of dust & dirt collect in the ducts and on the fan, the same way dirt collects on the blades of a ceiling fan, even if you use it all the time.

Over time as this dirt builds up, clumps of it will dislodge or "break off" and blow out through the vent, especially if you always run the fan speed on low, then turn it up to high.

Probably the best (but messy) way to clean this is to remove the filter, get a compressed air hose and blow in the air intake and exhaust vent with the fan is on. This will dislodge a lot of it and blow it out the vent.

I work in a fairly dusty enviroment and with this A/C unit running 8 - 10 hours each day we are here, the same needs to be done to the condenser side of the unit outside. Dirt builds up on the condenser fins and reduces the efficency of the unit, especially in hot weather.

I hope this helps!

Kevin

 

[launderess]

Have an older Friedrich "WallMaster" AC and this happened to us as well, then we got wise.

Your unit needs to be taken apart and given a through cleaning inside. Be it steam or using professional AC cleaning products (sold at HVAC stores, not the junk from HD), the evaporator coils, condenser, fan, evaporator tray, and so forth must be cleaned and any mildew dealth with.

The foam used for insulation and filling of gaps in ACs can and will break down over time, this can also be what you are seeing, and such bits can be replaced or patched over when doing the heavy cleaning.

Once the unit is cleaned, there are products you can add to the evaporator tray that will keep mould/mildew under control.

The first time we saw our AC opened up for cleaning, almost was ill at the thought of breathing in what air was coming out of that unit in a closed space.

 

[spookiness]

i have the same issue

With the Frigidaire AC in my bedroom. It's either dirt, or mold.
Every month or so I will find chunks laying on the floor in front of the unit.

This happens although I thoroughly clean the unit at least once a season, and I regularly turn it on hi and douse the intake with Lysol.

I've never had an issue with smell though.

 

[a440]

My dad had a Frigidaire in his work / garden shed.
It was doing the same thing. When he took the front cover off to examine it, he found the foam that is supposed to be white was black from mold. It was breaking apart and being thrown out.
He brought it to Lowes during the second season that he owned it. They took it back because without question and said they were getting the same complaints for many of the Frigidaire window units they sold. He traded it for a new LG unit, a little bigger, and has not had any issues with mold at all. They live in the deep south. Louisiana.
Mold is bad. Esp. wet mold.
Brent

 

[whirlcool]

Seeing as you live in the south, you may want to check to be sure no dirt daubers have built a nest in your a/c unit. Those things even build nests in airplanes!

 

[a440]

Yea...
Thanks on your speculation...No dirt daubers.
LOL! They are so obvious. It was a mold issue.
I called my dad tonight after using his LG and he said they had not a trace of mold. It has been 3 months after the fact....so all is good.
Good thing.
Thumbs up.
Brent

 

[washerboy]

Thanks!!

Thanks everyone for you comments..almost everything that was posted applied. The unit is twice the size than what I need; I run it on low all summer and it does a really good job of keeping things cool. I really was begining to wonderful if I was just crazy..I knew that stuff was comeing from somewhere..before I realized it was the AC I began to wonder if I did'nt have a demon rodent or spook. I've contacted a guy that's does appliance repair; he's comeing to the house on Friday and pull the until and give it a good cleaning and maintanience check. I bought the unit on close out in 2002; other than hoseing it out though the outside cover and cleaning the air filter weekly..it has'nt been touched. I had to chuckle at whirlcool comment...seems like my grocery list always has..a gallon of milk and a gallon of bleach on it..LOL!!! Thanks!!!!