When my window unit air conditioner is just blowing fresh air, it smells stale?

Question

when just the fan is on, not the ac it smells like stale water. What is going on here?

Answer 1

The air has to travel through the coils and since they become moldy due to the condensation during A/C. You need to clean the coils. A bleach and water mixture works good. One cup of bleach to 5 cups of water and spray on the coils. It will need to be done yearly.