Furnace Noises: Learn About The Most Common Sounds And The Ways To Address Them

Hearing noises coming from your furnace appliance? Noises like loud bangs or sounds of metal hitting metal indicate loose parts in your heating equipment. Such heating problems need addressing as soon as possible. If you delay repairs, you're going to experience a significant rise in your energy bills or premature unit failure. Below are a few noises you may hear from the heating appliance and what they mean.

Loud Screeching or Rattling Sounds

You likely have a faulty blower motor when you notice these noises. This furnace part handles releasing warm air from the unit to your home. For effective operation, you need to lubricate the blower motor. When you fail to do this, the fan won't function, and that's what causes the rattling or screeching noise. So, to solve this problem, ensure that you seek the services of a knowledgeable furnace repair expert.

Banging or Booming Sounds

These noises show that your furnace burner is full of dirt. You probably understand that the burner ignites the fuel, which produces heat. So, a dirty burner will result in delayed ignition, which causes a large gas explosion. Although this occurrence is not dangerous, a furnace expert must check it and make the necessary repairs. You can also catch and address this issue by scheduling regular maintenance.

Whistling Sounds

You will likely notice this type of noise if you have holes in the ductwork, especially where the furnace and duct connect. A leaking air duct needs quick fixing for proper distribution of heated air around your home. This sound can also result from a clogged furnace filter. If this is the case, you need to change the filter or call a professional to do it for you. Besides stopping the noise, clean filters can prevent the wear and tear of the furnace fan motor. 

Scraping Sounds 

If your furnace blower wheel is faulty, you should expect to hear scraping noises. As this part rotates, it pushes warm air through the air duct. If there's any misalignment of this part, it will make a scraping noise. Your heating expert will clean and adjust the blower wheel to resolve this problem.

Furnaces will make minimal noises when in great condition. If you notice any noises out of the ordinary, as highlighted above, seek the help of a knowledgeable heating repair expert. This is the only way for your furnace to run efficiently for a long time.

Contact an HVAC contractor for more information about HVAC servicing.