Furnaces are meant to make noise because well, they’re not perfect. Once we’ve perfected it we’ll let you know, but until then we think you should a few dangerous noises your furnace may make. It’s important to know if you hear unusually loud noises coming from your furnace to shut it down immediately.
Help is a short click or call away, but just in case you’re antsy, our team at Chris Heating & Cooling has made a list of five common furnace noises, and what might be causing them.
- Loud Banging
If you hear a loud banging noise, you should turn off your furnace right away. This might mean you have dirty burners that cause gas buildup in the ignition. An HVAC technician should clean your burners once a year during a maintenance inspection. Another culprit could be your vents expanding and contracting due to temperature changes. No matter the cause, you should have one of our professionals inspect the problem right away. Internal equipment knocking around could lead to a cracked heat exchanger.
- Rhythmic metallic clanging
Have you been hearing a repeating thud or clanging coming from your furnace? This probably means something is snuck into your blower cabinet and has now become lodged in the blower wheel. Although this is an uncommon problem, we do run across this a couple of times a year.
- Metal scraping
Over time your blower motor or wheel may start coming loose, if this happens you’ll hear a loud metal scraping noise. If you find yourself in this situation you need to shut off your furnace ASAP to avoid catastrophic damage. Should you catch this problem early the damage could be minimal.
- Recurring clicking noise
This sound might be harder to pick up on, so you should pay careful attention. It might mean you have a defective relay switch, the component sending electricity to the heating parts and motor. Another possibility is your flame is having trouble staying lit. A misaligned or dirty thermocouple can prevent the flame from staying lit. Or a bad gas valve could be the culprit. Either way, call a repairman as soon as possible to keep your furnace and home in good condition.
- Low-pitched growl
This noise may be a little harder to discern, but hearing a low-pitched growl indicates a problem. The growl indicates extra combustion occurring which could be caused by dirty burners or a misplaced pilot. Regardless of the cause, it is important to seek out professional attention.
Is your furnace making any of these noises? If so, call our Chris Heating & Cooling at (331) 231-2773 for a repair inspection. We’re pleased to help our neighbors in West Chicago, IL, stay warm during cold months!
