What is "Dirty Sock Syndrome"? Dirty Sock Syndrome is caused by bacteria growing on HVAC system coils, and refers to the unpleasant odor that comes from your residential or commercial heat pump coils.
ACHR News (Air Conditioning | Heating | Refrigeration) links DSS to these three main causes:
- "Cooling coils and other AC components are not made in sterile environments, meaning that microbes cover all of their parts along with a small amount of lubricant."
- "During the first cooling event after installation, condensate brings life to the microbes, which initially use the lubricant as an initial food source." Microbial decay (better known as "rot") is the culprit of the foul stench that smells like a dirty sock.