As your furnace starts up and begins to warm up your residence, it’s expected for it to create some noise. These sounds, such as the burners igniting and the blower whirring, are all part of the normal start-up steps.
But there are a few steps you can do to make your furnace quieter this winter.
1. Book Yearly Furnace Maintenance
Furnace maintenance is extremely important, since it keeps your manufacturer warranty in place. This helps protect you if something huge stops working in your furnace during your warranty time.
It can also help us discover little issues that could make your furnace loud. And possibly help you avoid a meltdown on the chilliest day of the year. The Indoor Air Quality Association reports that annual maintenance can decrease your probability of furnace malfunctions by up to 95%.
If minor furnace issues go ignored, they may cause trouble down the road. By unearthing these issues sooner, our technicians can get your furnace fixed before heating season is in full swing.
And most critical, pro cleaning and lubrication of your furnace’s moving components can help make it more efficient. A correctly maintained furnace could save up to 30% on your energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
2. Regularly Install a New Furnace’s Air Filter
Your air filter helps keep your residence’s air fresh and clean. When it turns too dirty, it can make your furnace turn on and off too frequently. Known as short cycling, this can cause your furnace to eat up additional energy and make it stop working faster.
Our suggestions for changing your furnace filter:
- Flat filter: Once a month
- Pleated filter: Every three months
You may have to install a new filter more often if you have allergies or pets.
3. Get in Touch with Cooler Tymes LLC When Your Furnace Is Making Strange Noises
Some furnaces, often older ones, may make more noise than others. But if you’re noticing extremely loud or weird noises, you should get in touch with a heating and cooling company like Cooler Tymes LLC for furnace repair in Litchfield Park.
Here are several noises to keep an eye out for, how to take care of them and when to call a professional.
Furnace Making Gurgling or Bubbling Noise
This noise occurs more commonly with high-efficiency furnaces. That’s because they exhaust fumes differently than older furnaces, and the process can produce some moisture. If your furnace is running into difficulties removing this water, it could make gurgling or bubbling sounds. You’ll want skilled support for this problem, since it might be created by a blocked drain pipe or clogged drain pan.
Furnace Making Banging Noise
It’s not a good thing when your furnace is making a banging sound. It can mean a couple of things.
Haven’t requested maintenance recently and your furnace is creating a banging sound when turning on? Its burners could be dirty. Dirty burners can stall ignition, which results in gas accumulating within your furnace.
All that increased gas can make a banging or booming sound when your furnace finally does ignite. But this is more than merely an irritating noise, because the built-up gas is erupting within your furnace. This can crack your furnace’s heat exchanger and create a life-threatening carbon monoxide leak.
If you’ve overlooked regular service for your furnace and you’re detecting this noise, give Cooler Tymes LLC a shout at 623-208-6444. Our heating specialists will get your furnace tuned up and double-check it’s operating correctly.
Your ductwork can also make banging sounds when your furnace turns on, since the metal is expanding and contracting.
We advise first looking at your furnace’s air filter and installing a new one if it’s dirty. Next, double-check you don’t have too many vents closed in your residence, as it can force air pressure out of balance.
If neither of these methods repair the sound, your ductwork might be dirty or undersized, which will be a need for assistance from a professional HVAC tech.
Furnace Making Humming or Buzzing Noise
If your furnace is buzzing or humming, it’s a flag there’s electrical troubles. This is most frequently seen with a sputtering blower fan motor, which will produce an irritating buzzing noise when your furnace turns on. It may also mean there’s trouble with the capacitor or transformer. All three of these problems need support from an experienced heating and cooling company like Cooler Tymes LLC.
Furnace Making Knocking Noise
If your furnace is making knocking sounds, it’s usually a symptom that an internal component is going out. This may be anything from a bearing to a belt or the gas valve. It can also be a symptom that your burners are dirty.
These problems are often uncovered during annual maintenance performed by a certified HVAC tech. So, while we’re at your house doing repairs, don’t forget to ask us about requesting your maintenance appointment for next year.
Furnace Making Clicking Noise
A clicking sound can be the result of things: worn bearings, gas valve problems or ignition issues. All these problems need professional help.
At Cooler Tymes LLC, our professionals are here to help you relax in peaceful, energy-efficient comfort. If your furnace is louder than it typically is or producing strange sounds, contact us at 623-208-6444 to schedule an appointment right away.