If your furnace (heater) starts making unusual or odd noises, it might be a warning sign of trouble. Furnaces tend to be the one thing in your home that can be neglected. However, you probably know what sounds to expect from your furnace when it’s operating normally, so anything out of the ordinary needs your attention. Your furnace may get your attention by making some of these sounds.
Why Is My Furnace Screeching?
If you hear a screeching sound from your furnace, it could be a problem with the motor or a bearing in the motor that is making the noise.
Why Does My Furnace Make a Chirping Noise?
If you hear a metallic chirping noise from your heating system, it could be caused by the wheel being out of alignment, a motor mount might be loose, or your bearings could be going out. Sometimes you may be able to wiggle the wheel to get the alignment to resolve itself but if you don’t know what you’re doing it is always a better idea to have an experienced heating tech check things out.
What Does It Mean If Your Furnace Is Rattling?
If your furnace makes rattling noises when it shuts off, it is probably the metal parts of your furnace cooling down. If you hear a rattling noise when the furnace starts up, it could be a motor bearing going out. However, it may be something more serious. The blower may be out of alignment or a malfunction in the motor occurred. If you hear this noise you should give Precision a call.
Why Is My Furnace Clanging?
If you hear a clanging noise from your heating system, the problem is more than likely in the pipes, rather than the furnace itself. This tends to happen when the pipes are able to cool down and contract after the furnace shuts off.
Why Does My Furnace Make a Loud Boom?
A loud boom or thud sound may be caused by the ducts, which can expand and contract in cold weather. Especially if where the furnace is located is not heated. However, it might be an indication that the burners in the furnace are dirty and need to be cleaned. These are relatively easy to clean yourself with hot soapy water. If you do attempt to clean these yourself, make sure they are completely dry before reinstalling them. If it’s determined that it’s not the ducts or the burners, it may be that your gas valve is defective (if you have a gas furnace), which can cause a delayed ignition. In most cases, it is wise to call Precision to have one of our experienced furnace repair pros evaluate the problem.
Why Is My Furnace Popping?
If your furnace is making popping noises, it is most likely coming from one of the ducts and is not really something to worry about.
Why Is My Furnace Whining?
If you hear an odd vibrating noise or whining noise from your furnace, it may indicate an urgent problem that a professional heating technician really needs to check out.
Why Is My Furnace Making a Loud Humming Noise?
A loud humming noise may come when the furnace burners light and it's cold outside. You can eliminate this noise by turning the off/pilot/on control to reduce the burner flame.
Why Is My Furnace Crackling?
A furnace making a crackling sound is more than likely caused by the metal parts of your furnace cooling down when the furnace shuts off.
Why Does My Furnace Keep Making a Banging Noise?
A clunking and banging sound from your furnace indicates a cracked belt. If you hear this noise you need to have a Precision tech out to your home to replace the belt.
Have Your System Evaluated by a Furnace Repair Professional
Overall, if your furnace is making sounds that are out of the ordinary it's definitely a good idea to schedule one of our NATE certified HVAC technicians to come out to your home to do a system diagnosis to evaluate any potential problems before its too late. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Call (512) 379-6385 today to schedule an appointment.