If you’re hearing a strange sound when you run your heat, it’s easy to assume that the furnace is the source of the problem. Here’s the tricky part: your furnace is connected to your home’s ducts, the same network your air conditioner uses to distribute the cooled air all summer. Noises that happen when your heat is running could be a sign you need furnace repair, but they could also be caused by a ductwork issue.
Groaning
This is a sound that’s almost definitely coming from the furnace. In particular, this agonizing noise usually comes from the motor that powers the blower fan. To keep its internal workings moving smoothly, this motor has bearings in it, and when they wear down, they grind and groan. Repair now means getting new bearings and fresh lubricant. If you delay repairs, you might end up with a completely broken-down motor needing to be replaced.
Clicking
Again, your furnace is the most likely culprit. While it’s possible there’s something very slightly loose, like a screw allowing a panel to move a tiny bit to make this noise, it’s also possible that it’s caused by an electrical problem. Yes, even gas furnaces have electrical components. Since this type of heating concern can be quite hazardous, you should have it repaired as promptly as possible.
Shrieking
Not all furnaces have belts these days—that’s a rubbery strip that connects the motor to the fan. But if your furnace does have one, and it starts to stretch or slip out of position, it can make quite the alarming shrieking sound!
Whistling
How do you make a whistling sound with your mouth? By forcing air through a very small opening. If you hear whistling from your HVAC system, it’s likely there’s a small hole or crack in your ductwork, and as the air is pushed through the ducts, it’s being forced through that opening as well. Sealing your ducts will prevent this noise as well as improving your heating and cooling efficiency and your air quality.
Rattling
Now is the time to listen closely for the location that the sound is coming from. A rattle is probably being made by something loose that needs to be secured down. If it’s loudest near the furnace itself, it could be a panel or fan blade wobbling. If you hear it in the walls or coming from your vents, it’s probably a section of duct that has shaken itself loose from all the vibration over the years.
Keep in mind that the sounds from your HVAC system should always be quiet and steady. Your furnace or your AC compressor will hum. The fan will whir, and air will whoosh from your vents. Any sound other than those is a cause for HVAC repair in Seaside Park, NJ. Wherever the problem is located, we’ll find it and get it sorted out for you.
You’re More Comfortable With Atlantic Air Systems. Schedule your appointment with us today.