Over time, when you fire up your furnace, you know how it’s supposed to sound. So you'll likely notice if the equipment starts making unfamiliar sounds. Some noises — like a couple of small pops or clicks ahead of the warm air beginning to blow — are perfectly harmless. But others could affect the equipment or even endanger your health if you dismiss them. Among the possible noises that you may hear, here are nine that justify an immediate furnace repair.
Scraping Furnace Noise
The moment you hear a sound like metal rubbing on metal, this could suggest the blower wheel has loosened from the motor shaft, or the wheel or motor mount is damaged or failing. No matter the precise problem, you should shut off your furnace if you discover a scraping sound and call a professional for an urgent repair.
Loud Boom at Startup
When you fire up your furnace, the burners should ignite right away and start heating your home. A loud boom at startup likely means the burners are dirty, producing a delayed ignition. When the gas eventually does ignite, you hear this frightening furnace noise.
A small explosion each time your furnace turns on could bust the heat exchanger, a costly repair that may necessitate you to replace the entire furnace. Don’t let it come to this! Shut 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 usually implies poor lubrication. Multiple parts of a furnace need lightweight oil to function smoothly. If the parts are not lubricated, components grind against each other and cause unwanted wear and tear. Our recommendation is to have this problem remedied right away to protect against premature furnace failure.
Chirping Noise
The sound of a bird lodged in your furnace certainly warrants investigation. If you notice chirping during the first furnace cycle of the season, it could just mean your furnace is warming up after an extended period of no use. In this case, the sound should stop 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 coming in contact with the blower wheel. This isn’t necessarily a safety hazard, but the only choice to get rid of the pesky furnace noise is to have a technician perform a repair.
Screeching Furnace
Screeching noises are clear and certain signs that the fan belt is deteriorating. If the fraying belt breaks, it could spin inside the furnace, damaging other components and leading to a much more expensive repair. Insulate yourself from this hassle by replacing the worn-out belt sooner rather than later.
Continual Clicking.
Some furnaces give off a fast series of clicks when they flip on and off. This is completely normal. However, if the noise persists longer than approximately 60 seconds, this could signal an electrical problem. To avoid risking a house fire, call a furnace repair professional to fix the problem promptly.
Thwapping Sounds
The blower motor should perform properly when the furnace switches on. If you notice 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 simple repair should be all that's required to stop this pestering furnace noise and reduce the risk of damaging the blower motor.
Rattling Furnace
There are several possible reasons for your furnace to produce a rattling sound. It might be as simple as a loose door cover, so check this first. If the rattling continues, the most probable reason is a malfunctioning blower motor. Consider this a warning sign to have your furnace repaired before it breaks down completely.
Whistling or Vibrating
When these noises come from the furnace, it could mean the air intake vent is dislodged. If the whistling or vibrating comes from a vent, your ductwork is likely separated somewhere, allowing conditioned air to release. These aren’t urgent matters, but if you address it promptly, you’ll spend less on your heating and cooling bills in the long run.
Schedule Furnace Repair with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
Are you uncertain whether the furnace noises you hear correspond to 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 offer emergency furnace repair to get your heater functioning properly as soon 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 contact a Service Experts office near you.