No one likes to hear strange and unusual noises coming from their furnace. While it may be easy to ignore these sounds, they could indicate a bigger problem with your furnace or HVAC system.
In this article we'll discuss the most common furnace noises and why you should pay attention to them. From buzzing and clicking to rattling and humming, understanding what these various furnace noises mean is vital in helping diagnose any potential issues before they become serious problems.
Common Furnace Noises You Shouldn't Ignore
Buzzing
The most common furnace noise is buzzing. A buzzing sound coming from your furnace typically indicates an issue with the blower motor or loose components within the furnace cabinet. If you hear a buzzing sound coming from your furnace, you should check all connections leading into the furnace cabinet for any signs of corrosion or damage.
Additionally, it's important to ensure that all of the wiring is secure inside the cabinet and that no loose components are rattling inside. Once all connections have been checked, try resetting the furnace's power supply by turning off the power at the breaker box before turning it back on again after a few minutes. This can often fix minor issues due to loose parts or wiring failures within the furnace cabinet.
Loud Booming
You may assume that a quiet booming sound emanating from your furnace is a sign of trouble, but it's quite common. It's often the result of your ducts extending and compressing to push air throughout your home.
With that said, if you hear loud booming noises, you should pay attention. Loud booming noises could be the result of too much gas entering the combustion chamber when the furnace ignites. This may put unneeded stress on your HVAC system and furnace. Over time these small combustions can begin to damage your heating system and possibly leak deadly carbon monoxide into your home.
Any loud booms should be assessed by an HVAC professional from Home Mechanics.
Clicking
Clicking sounds can also imply trouble within a furnace system; however, there are several potential causes for this noise. Clicking may indicate problems with the igniter switch, or it may indicate an electrical short in some other part of the unit that triggers when it sends electricity through different parts of your furnace system.
Additionally, if you have a furnace that uses gas fuel as its energy source, a clicking sound may mean that it's having difficulty lighting up due to improper ignition settings or worn-out components like spark plugs or burners that need replacement or repair.
If you hear any consistent clicking coming from your furnace system, call an experienced HVAC technician for diagnosis as soon as possible so they can identify what might be causing this noise before potentially larger problems affect your system down the line.
Chirping
A metallic chirp or squeak might indicate that the pulley for your blower motor is not properly aligned, or even more concerning, that the mounting plate is touching your blower wheel. If this sound persists after you turn on the furnace, there may be an issue with your heating system and our technicians should be contacted to inspect it quickly.
Squealing, Squeaking, or Whistling
A squealing or whistling in your furnace is typically one of two possible problems: a worn-out fan belt or worn-down blower motor bearings. The fan belt in your furnace aids in blowing warm or cold air throughout your house. However, unless you have an old furnace, it is unlikely you have a belt-driven fan.
Blower motor bearings are the most likely cause of any squealing or whistling coming directly from your furnace. These bearings spin quickly to allow the fan blades to spin inside the housing unit. If you suspect that the blower motor bearings are the cause, call us at Home Mechanics to assess and repair your furnace.
Rattling or Clanging
Rattling or clanging sounds can also occur from time to time in furnaces but usually indicate something wrong with ductwork. Faulty installation of ductwork components like elbows and dampers or loose sheet metal pieces flapping against each other due to poor insulation around them can cause rattling noises.
It's best to contact an experienced HVAC specialist for an accurate diagnosis if you hear clanging or rattling. Our team at Home Mechanics can help determine whether your system has any faulty ductwork parts that could cause damage over time if not addressed quickly enough.
When Should I Call a Professional?
As we mentioned, the odd noise here and there may not be a big worry, but here are a few tips for knowing when to call in an HVAC professional:
- The noise is new, loud or happens consistently.
- Your furnace begins to behave oddly after making unusual noises.
- You lose power and/or constantly need to flip the breaker to your furnace.
- You periodically or constantly lose heat or cooling.
Call on Professionals You Can Trust
Completing regular annual maintenance and calling the professionals at Home Mechanics will ensure peace of mind when dealing with matters relating to your HVAC system.