If you've had your furnace for several winter seasons, you know how it’s supposed to sound. So you'll likely notice if the system starts making weird noises. Some noises — like several small pops or clicks before the warm air beginning to blow — are completely harmless. But others could ruin the equipment or even threaten your health if you neglect them. Among the possible noises that you may hear, here are nine that justify an immediate furnace repair.
Scraping Furnace Noise
If you hear a sound like metal against metal, this could indicate the blower wheel has loosened from the motor shaft, or the wheel or motor mount is damaged or failing. No matter what the specific problem, you should turn off your furnace if you notice a scraping sound and call a professional for an emergency repair.
Loud Boom at Startup
When you fire up your furnace, the burners should ignite quickly and begin heating your home. A loud boom at startup probably means the burners are dirty, resulting in delayed ignition. When the gas finally does ignite, you hear this terrifying furnace noise.
A small blast each time your furnace turns on could bust the heat exchanger, a costly repair that may necessitate you to switch out the entire furnace. Act before it gets to this point! Switch off your furnace if you hear a loud boom at startup, and avoid using it again until it has been repaired.
Squealing or Whining Sounds
A screaky or loud squealing furnace noise typically signifies poor lubrication. Shaft bearings and other moving parts require lightweight oil to function smoothly. If the parts are not lubricated, components grate against each other and cause needless wear and tear. Our recommendation is to have this situation remedied right away to avoid premature furnace failure.
Chirping Noise
The sound of a bird caught in your furnace definitely warrants investigation. If you notice chirping coming from the furnace upon the first activation of the season, it could simply mean your furnace is warming up after months of no use. In this situation, the sound should end after a few cycles.
However, if the chirping continues, it could mean the pulley for the blower motor is misaligned or the mounting plate is touching the blower wheel. This isn’t automatically a safety risk, but the only option to eliminate the irritating furnace noise is to have a technician perform a repair.
Screeching Furnace
Screeching noises are an unmistakable warning sign that the fan belt is wearing out. If the fraying belt splits, it could whip around inside the furnace, harming other components and resulting in a much more expensive repair. Avoid this hassle and cost by changing the worn-out belt sooner rather than later.
Repeated Clicking.
Some furnaces give off a quick series of clicks when they switch on and off. There is nothing unusual about that. That said, if the noise continues longer than about one minute, this could signal an electrical problem. Don't risk your home catching fire by a faulty electrical situation; call a furnace repair professional to fix the problem without delay.
Thwapping Sounds
The blower motor should operate smoothly when the furnace turns on. If you hear a thwapping sound that rapidly picks up speed as the blower gets going, this could mean something is caught in the fan, and the blades are hitting it with each rotation. A simple repair should be all that's required to stop this annoying furnace noise and prevent damaging the blower motor.
Rattling Furnace
There are several possible reasons for your furnace to produce a rattling sound. It might be as basic as a loose door cover, so check this first. If the rattling remains, the most likely root cause is a declining blower motor. Treat this as a warning sign to have your furnace repaired before it entirely fails.
Whistling or Vibrating
When your furnace has an air intake vent issue, you will often hear a whistling or humming vibration sound. If the whistling or vibrating comes from a vent, your ductwork is likely detached, allowing conditioned air to escape. These aren’t urgent matters, but if you address it promptly, you’ll pay less on your heating and cooling bills long term.
Schedule Furnace Repair with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
Are you uncertain whether the furnace noises you hear match these descriptions? It might be nothing, but the only way to know for sure is to call a professional. At Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, we have emergency furnace repair to get your system back up and running as quickly as possible. Be confident knowing that we stand behind our work with a one-year, 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re disappointed with our work anytime in the next 12 months, we’ll fix it! For more information or to arrange a furnace repair visit, please contact a Service Experts office near you.