Over time, when you fire up your furnace, you know how it’s supposed to sound. So it will likely catch your attention if the equipment starts making weird sounds. Some noises — like a couple of minor pops or clicks ahead of the warm air beginning to blow — are perfectly harmless. But others could damage the equipment or even threaten your health if you ignore them. While there are many more furnace noises to consider, here are nine that warrant an immediate furnace repair.
Scraping Furnace Noise
When you hear a sound like metal scraping on metal, this could mean the blower wheel is becoming detached from the motor shaft, or the wheel or motor mount has broken. No matter what the exact problem, you should shut off your furnace if you hear a scraping sound and call a professional for an emergency repair.
Loud Boom at Startup
When you start your furnace, the burners should ignite right away and get started heating your home. A loud boom at startup potentially means the burners are dirty, which causes a delayed ignition. When the gas finally does ignite, you hear this scary furnace noise.
A small explosion each time your furnace turns on could bust the heat exchanger, a pricey repair that may force you to switch out the entire furnace. Act before it gets to this point! Turn off your furnace if you hear a loud boom at startup, and do not activate it again until it has been repaired.
Squealing or Whining Sounds
A high-pitched squealing furnace noise generally signifies poor lubrication. Like many mechanical equipment with moving parts inside, they need lightweight oil to run smoothly. If these parts are dry, components rub against each other and cause needless wear and tear. Look into having this problem remedied right away to protect against premature furnace failure.
Chirping Noise
The sound of a bird lodged in your furnace absolutely 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 an extended period of no use. In cases like this, the sound should stop after a few cycles.
However, if the chirping doesn’t subside, it could indicate the pulley for the blower motor is crooked or the mounting plate is touching the blower wheel. This isn’t necessarily a safety risk, but the only choice to stop the pesky furnace noise is to have a technician perform a repair.
Screeching Furnace
Screeching noises are an unmistakable warning sign that the fan belt is deteriorating. If the fraying belt splits, it could spin inside the furnace, breaking other components and leading to a much more expensive repair. You can protect yourself from this unexpected expense by replacing the worn-out belt sooner rather than later.
Constant Clicking.
Some furnaces give off a quick series of clicks when they switch on and off. This is common and no reason to be concerned. Having said that, if the noise continues longer than about one minute, this could indicate an electrical problem. To avoid risking a house fire, call a furnace repair professional to solve the problem immediately.
Thwapping Sounds
The blower motor should perform smoothly when the furnace turns on. If you hear a thwapping sound that dramatically picks up speed as the blower gets going, this likely means something is snagged in the fan, and the blades are striking it with each rotation. A quick repair should be all it takes to eliminate this pestering furnace noise and protect against damaging the blower motor.
Rattling Furnace
A rattling furnace can be caused by multiple issues. It might be as basic as a loose door cover, so verify that option first. If the rattling persists, the most probable reason is a failing blower motor. Treat this as a warning sign to have your furnace repaired before it breaks down completely.
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 separated somewhere, allowing conditioned air to release. These aren’t critical matters, but if you fix it soon, you’ll save money on your heating and cooling bills in the long run.
Schedule Furnace Repair with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
Are you undecided whether the furnace noises you hear match these descriptions? Maybe nothing’s wrong, but the only way to know for sure is to call a professional. At Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, we provide emergency furnace repair to get your unit back up and running as fast as possible. Rest assured knowing that we stand behind our work with a one-year, 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re unhappy with our work anytime in the next 12 months, we’ll set things right! For more information or to arrange a furnace repair visit, please get in touch with a Service Experts office near you.