When your furnace is working like it should, it should provide warmth without creating too much disruption. While it’s common to hear your furnace making noise as it starts up, other disruptions are showing your furnace should get immediate professional support.
Here are some of the most frequent furnace noises and what they might be signaling. If your furnace is making a strange noise, our friendly heating pros are here to help with the best furnace repair in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
1. Furnace Makes Banging or Knocking Sounds
You might have a critical situation on your hands if you’re detecting your furnace making a banging noise. If your furnace is making a knocking noise, it may signal there could be several problems. These range from gas accumulating in your furnace or a ductwork problem.
Banging Sounds Coming from Your Furnace
Your heating system becomes filthy as time passes, so that’s why it’s important to book annual furnace maintenance with Childress Heating & AC. One of the tasks our techs complete during this service is clean your furnace’s burners. When this part gets grimy, you may hear your furnace making a loud rumbling noise when ignition takes longer than normal. The resulting gas buildup might crack your furnace’s heat exchanger, where natural gas changes into heat. Any fractures in it can emit carbon monoxide, which is ordinarily emitted away from your home. This dangerous gas can be fatal in large concentrations.
If you’re aware of banging or knocking sounds coming from your furnace, Childress Heating & AC recommends turning it off and contacting us at 540-675-4306. Too much natural gas in your furnace or a broken heat exchanger are hazardous issues that necessitate fast service.
Banging Sounds Coming from Your Ductwork
Your furnace relies on ductwork to provide warm air around your home. If the ductwork wasn’t installed right or is getting old, it can be loud when your furnace runs. This may be the issue if your furnace makes a banging noise when it shuts off. Contact Childress Heating & AC at 540-675-4306 and we’ll pinpoint the problem.
2. Furnace Buzzes Constantly
If you hear your furnace making a buzzing noise, don’t wait to call us. A buzzing sound typically indicates an electrical situation, like with its transformer, blower motor or capacitor.
Your furnace relies on an internal transformer to work on the proper voltage. If wires or the box is loose, you could notice a low humming noise in the furnace when off. Your furnace also uses a blower motor, which sends heated or cooled air across your space, and a capacitor, which triggers the motor. If either of these pieces are fading, they will buzz when the furnace turns on.
3. Furnace Makes Rattling Sounds Like Something Is Loose
If your furnace is making a rattling noise, it may be due to something little, like an unfastened screw, or something serious, like a broken part. In either case, we recommend shutting off your furnace and calling our heating specialists at 540-675-4306 for assistance.
4. Furnace Is Making a High-Pitched Squealing Sound
If your furnace makes a high-pitched noise, like squealing, when it’s on, it’s attempting to get your attention it could use some TLC. If you’ve neglected furnace maintenance recently, belts could be worn down or a bearing might need to be greased. We are aware that maintenance frequently slips your mind, but our technicians can get your furnace heating quietly again rapidly.
5. Furnace Whistles
When you’re noticing your furnace making a whistling noise, it’s likely due to an air leak in your ductwork. You may also hear whistling while the furnace is operating if a floor vent is loose. If you’ve looked at your vents but are still hearing whistling, Childress Heating & AC can assist you. It’s important to get loose ductwork taken care of fast, because it can create comfort troubles in your house and drive up your utility bills.
6. Furnace Making a Grinding Noise
It’s not a good sign if you hear your furnace making a grinding noise. This metal-on-metal sound typically means there’s trouble with your furnace’s blower. Switch off your furnace off promptly and call our professionals at 540-675-4306 for support.
When you’re noticing an uncommon noise from your furnace, Childress Heating & AC is available to help. Contact us at 540-675-4306 to schedule your furnace repair appointment today.