Spooky Sounds Your Furnace Is Making

Does your furnace creep you out with strange noises and sounds echoing through the vents? Eerie, strange sounds seeming to be coming from the abyss? Do you worry the cause could be a ghost? Or worse? A serious, potentially expensive furnace problem? In this blog post, we’ll look at various possible causes that might contribute to the racket.

Scraping

Only a handful of maintenance issues result in scraping sounds like nails on a chalkboard or metal rubbing metal. When this happens, it’s probably a blower wheel that may have come loose or a more serious broken component. In any case, when you hear such noises, turn your system off and call a professional for furnace repair!

Bangs, Booms & Pops

There are several reasons you may hear bangs or popping noises when you first turn on your furnace. Dirty burners delay ignition, which means more gas than normal gets ignited. Expanding and contracting metal ductwork may also produce these noises as airflow starts and stops or as the metal heats and cools.

Louder, booming variations of these noises can indicate leaks and other serious problems. Either way, this needs attention immediately; even the most benign source of booms can severely damage your furnace.

Squeals & Whines

High-pitched squealing or whining sounds may be traced back to the blower assembly. Causes can include problems with the belt, inadequate lubrication of moving parts, or motor trouble. These aren’t usually big problems, but don’t ignore them. Contact your HVAC professional to have it checked out.

Clicks

Thermostat problems or trouble with the ignition system tend to be the cause of clicking noises in heating systems. These problems can lead to inconsistent starting and temperature management, speeding up furnace wear and tear. Have an HVAC professional investigate and repair the issue as soon as possible.

Rattles

Rattling sounds may indicate a loose component or debris being blown or pushed around inside your furnace. Anything causing such noises can damage the system, even if a damaged part isn’t the initial cause. Have a heating system pro check it out to make sure nothing is broken or damaged.

Fall Furnace Repair With Total Air & Heat

Under normal circumstances, your furnace system should function quietly, developing its own operating sounds you’ll grow accustomed to. All systems may have the occasional odd noise, but when these sounds are persistent or significantly different from normal operating sounds, it’s time to take action. Maintenance tune-ups are a great way to prevent furnace system problems before peak heating season.

Fall is usually the best time for annual maintenance tune-ups for home heating systems and is the perfect time to make your service provider aware of any unusual noises your system might be making. They’ll inspect the system to identify the cause and then make recommendations about what actions, if any, should be taken.

If you’d like to inquire about a specific noise you’re hearing from your furnace, or you’re ready to schedule a maintenance visit, contact Total Air today at 972-881-0020!