The Air Smells Great After A Rain Shower

If you were in the west valley Monday evening you got to enjoy a nice evening shower.  The air smells so fresh after a nice shower, it is a great perk to the much needed moisture. While there was a bit of damage from the gusty winds it was a mild storm overall.

We still have those last few eighty degree plus days in the weather forecast. But you can see the trend to cooler and cooler nights.  That will eventually lead to real cold Arizona nights.

Do you have a date set-aside or a plan of when to call and have your heating system serviced.  It can save you both time and money to have that service done now.  You don’t want to wait till everyone else is calling and trying to get the best time to have their HVAC or furnace started and tuned-up for our Arizona winter.

Do you know that there is more than one reason that there is a change in “smell” of the air after a rain shower.  Here are just two of them.

The fresh air smell is caused by the acidity of rain. Because of chemicals in the atmosphere, rainwater tends to be somewhat acidic, especially in urban environments. When it comes in contact with organic debris or chemicals on the ground, it can cause some particularly aromatic reactions. It breaks apart soil and releases minerals trapped inside, and it reacts with chemicals, such as gasoline, giving them a stronger smell. These reactions generally produce more unpleasant smells than bacteria spores, which is why the after-the-rain smell isn't always a good one. Like the smell caused by the bacteria spores, the smell of chemical reactions is most noticeable when it rains following a dry spell. This is because once the chemicals on the ground have been diluted by one downpour, they don't have the same reaction with the rainwater.

One of the more pleasant rain smells, the one we often notice in the woods, is actually caused by bacteria! Actinomycetes, a type of filamentous bacteria, grow in soil when conditions are damp and warm. When the soil dries out, the bacteria produces spores in the soil. The wetness and force of rainfall kick these tiny spores up into the air where the moisture after a rain acts as an aerosol (just like an aerosol air freshener).

The moist air easily carries the spores to us so we breathe them in. These spores have a distinctive, earthy smell we often associate with rainfall. The bacteria is extremely common and can be found in areas all over the world, which accounts for the universality of this sweet "after-the-rain" smell. Since the bacteria thrives in moist soil but releases the spores once the soil dries out, the smell is most acute after a rain that follows a dry spell, although you'll notice it to some degree after most rainstorms.

If you are looking for a fast and fair company to work with for your HVAC and Heating repair or replacement needs?  Give Aaron’s Mechanical Service a call and let us help you get cooled off! Call 623-388-4436

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Aaron’s Mechanical Service
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservice.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservice.com