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My Philips Air Purifier produces a bad or unpleasant smell

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Philips Support

My Philips Air Purifier produces a bad or unpleasant smell

If your Philips Air Purifier produces an unpleasant smell, there may be several possible causes. Find out how to resolve this here.

The first few times you use your Philips Air Purifier or use the heating function it's equipped with (specific models only), it may produce a plastic smell due to the plastic materials of the appliance. Do not worry; this is normal and will fully disappear within a few days. However, if the appliance produces a burnt smell, we recommend that you contact the Philips After-Sale Service.

When the inside of your Philips Air Purifier filter (A indicated in image below) is dirty or when the filter has absorbed gases to its maximum capacity, it may cause a dusty odour. In this case, please replace the filter. To find the filter specific to your model please refer to your User Manual.

When your air purifier's pre-filter or filter surface (B indicated in above image) is dirty, or not cleaned regularly, it may cause a dusty odour or bad smell. You need to clean the pre-filter or filter surface once a month, or when indicated by the appliance.

Some models are equipped with a feature that purifies formaldehyde. The filter may produce a sour smell when it absorbs too much formaldehyde. It is recommended that you clean or replace the filter according to the filter cleaning or replacement indications that have been provided. Depending on your household needs, you can replace the filter ahead of the indication if the sour smell is too strong and obvious.

If the indoor humidity level is high, your filter could get damp and emit a strange smell. You can put the filter in a well-ventilated place for a couple of hours to reduce the smell.

The information below applies only to model AC3680.
The hair removed from the pre-filter by the scraper is gathered in the pet hair container. Please ensure that you clean the pet hair container regularly to prevent unpleasant odours. You can refer to the User Manual for more cleaning instructions.
If the above does not answer your question, please contact us.

The information on this page applies to the following models: AMF765/30 , AMF870/35 , AC3259/60 . Click here to show more product numbers ›

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My Philips Air Purifier produces a bad or unpleasant smell

Plastic smell produced during initial usage

The filter is dirty or has absorbed gases to its maximum capacity

The pre-filter or filter surface is dirty

The filter produces sour smell

The filter gets damp

The pet hair container needs to be cleaned (Applies to AC3680 only)

Frequently Asked Questions