When a furnace is operating properly, chances are you won’t notice it all that often. When issues are taking place, however, there are often some notable signs – including noticeable sounds that indicate these problems in certain cases.
When you work with the team with At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air, we’re happy to provide numerous HVAC services, including significant attention to your furnace. This is especially important this time of year, as we move from the cooler fall to the cold winter season and homeowners need a furnace that’s operating optimally. What are some common noises that might indicate an issue in the furnace, and what are they possibly telling you or our HVAC repair pros? Let’s take a look.
Clanking
Have you begun to hear a loud, metal-on-metal clanking sound that’s clearly coming from your furnace, chances are this is an issue with the blower wheel. In such cases, you should immediately cut off power to your furnace and contact our HVAC professionals – not only does a blower wheel require professional repair or replacement if damaged, leaving it for even a week or two longer will just increase the damage done, and therefore the cost you pay. Do not delay in calling us if you notice this problem.
Booming or Banging
If you hear a more abrupt banging or booming noise from the furnace, this often means a dirty burner that’s been clogged up by dust and other debris. This is not only a potentially harmful problem to your furnace, but also a dangerous one – in the worst of cases, it can lead to a small explosion in the home.
Unless you have specific HVAC training, we strongly recommend against trying to clean the burner on your own. Mistakes here are both costly and a risk to your safety. Call in our HVAC pros for any gas burner issues or suspicions.
Screeching
What if your sound is a loud, high-pitched screech? This is usually a malfunctioning blower motor, meaning even though the furnace is producing warm air, it will not be properly circulated throughout the home.
Luckily, this issue is often minor – in these cases, just some basic lubrication might be needed. In others, the fan will have stopped working altogether, in which case you need one of our HVAC technicians to assess the problem (we’re also happy to help with lubrication if you’re unsure how to do this).
Rattling
Finally, a rattling sound from the furnace may indicate a broken heat exchanger. This will lead to the furnace building up too much heat, which will eventually crack your heat exchanger and lead to major risks, including carbon monoxide poisoning. Any rattling sound should cause you to call our team right away.
For more on what certain sounds coming from your furnace are telling you, or to learn about any of our HVAC services, speak to the staff with At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air today.
