Sounds Your Furnace is Making That Should Raise Concern
Hey, do you hear that? I think your furnace is trying to tell you something. If your furnace is producing loud noises, this isn’t just a minor inconvenience. It’s your heater trying to tell you something is wrong, and for the safety of you and your family, it’s best to listen up
Check out these seven noises and what they could mean for your home!
NOISES TO LOOK OUT FOR
Grinding & Scraping
If your heater is producing a grinding and scraping noise, this most likely means that the bearings within the furnace blower motor are dry. These bearings must be lubricated regularly in order to keep them running at peak performance. This problem is often taken care of during your maintenance check.
Rumbling
A rumbling furnace noise can be caused by serious issues with your burners, motor bearings, or pilot light. If the rumbling is house shaking and comes after your furnace shuts off, then it is likely caused by the burning of unused fuel in your combustion chamber. In this situation, having an experienced professional look at your heater is essential to make sure no further damage occurs and avoid a potentially deadly carbon monoxide leak.
Squealing
If a high-pitched squealing noise is emanating from your heater, the problem likely lies with the motor’s belt. Damaged belts are a relatively easy problem for a trained professional. While this problem isn’t a massive issue if taken care of early, you should contact a licensed contractor to prevent the situation from snowballing into a more significant problem.
Thumping
If the sound of rhythmic thumping or bumping noises are coming from your heater, you most likely want to have it looked at. These thumps could emanate from an unbalanced motor which is often caused by a loose or missing mounting bolt. The other possible reason for the bumping noise could be due to blower fan issues. Most likely, either a blade is loose, or something is stuck to the fan blade. While neither of these issues are dangerous, they could eventually cause more damage to your system and should be handled by a professional.
Pops & Bangs
Hearing a popping and banging noise coming from your heater when your heater turns on or off is entirely normal. This noise often happens because the warm air is hitting or leaving the ducts causes the metal to expand or contract, thus creating that noise.
However, if you hear loud pops while the heater is active, this could mean that the burners are dirty. When burners have accumulated too much dirt, they will stop igniting properly, leading to a gas buildup, which causes the popping sound. These small explosions can crack other components in the heater and can be very dangerous. It’s best to have experts like the team at Arctic Air Home Services come and fix the problem immediately.
Rattling
The rattling noise coming from your heater is often caused by ducts that aren’t the correct size. When the air starts flowing through, it generates a change in pressure which can force the pieces to hit together, creating that rattling sound. This problem also causes you to lose some of your heated or cooled air, which will cost you money in the long run, so while not a serious problem, you should have a professional take care of it.
Handling The Problem
While not all noises coming from your furnace are an immediate danger to you and your family, it is best to have them handled by a professional who can fix the situation safely and efficiently.
If you’re experiencing any of these problematic noises, call (941) 283-7532 to have the experienced team at } fix your issue fast.