It’s often easy to ignore subtle sounds coming from your heating system. Or rather, it’s easy to tune them out. Sounds like the whoosh of air coming through your vents, for instance, can become a noise so natural in the fall and winter that you don’t even notice it anymore. You might also neglect to notice the sound of a very gentle rattling of your ductwork as it shifts with the temperature fluctuations.
But what about those noises that seem to creep up on you out of nowhere? Is it ever okay to ignore a strange sound coming from your furnace? Well, you could ignore it, but you’d probably regret that. Unusual sounds are among the first signs that something is wrong with your furnace. Keep reading as we outline three of the most common sounds that indicate a furnace in disrepair.
1. Screeching
You’ve adjusted your thermostat for the heat to come on, you hear the furnace cycle on, then all of a sudden you hear a screech as the blower motor starts up.
The good news here is that it’s likely an easily resolvable problem, for our technicians. It’s most commonly the sign of your motor bearings needing lubrication. This is actually needed on a regular basis to keep your motor and the blower fan moving smoothly, without any friction.
But just because our technicians can easily fix this problem for you doesn’t mean it’s a sound that you should let continue for too long. Reach out to our team right away, otherwise, you run the risk of your motor burning out and your furnace breaking down.
2. Booming
Have you discovered something that resembles the sound of a small explosion occurring once your heater starts up? We don’t want to be the ones to break it to you, but there’s a small probability that is what you’re hearing. What happens is that the burners get dirty, covered up with dust and grime, and the gas jets have to burn through the grime before they can properly ignite.
So, the gas builds up underneath it all and then pops once it burns through, creating that boom you hear.
Now, your furnace won’t actually explode when this occurs. However, this problem does stress the system out, making repair needs like cracked heat exchangers more likely. A cracked heat exchanger can lead to harmful carbon monoxide exposure, which no homeowner wants!
3. Rattling
We mentioned above how a gentle rattling might indicate ductwork fluctuating with the temperature changes. But what if the rattling gets louder or more aggressive? Or what if it sounds like it’s coming from elsewhere in your furnace?
Well, then you’re looking at something more serious. You may have ductwork damage that needs addressing, a broken heat exchanger, problems with the blower, etc. The severity of these problems vary, but no matter what it’s a good idea to give our pros a call if you hear a loud rattling coming from anywhere within your furnace.
Contact Comfort First Heating and Cooling, Inc. for your New Lenox, IL furnace repair needs today! Comfort First Heating and Cooling, Inc., where we put your comfort first.