Is your furnace making weird and unnerving noises? Noises that make you ask, “Did it always do that?”
A majority of the time, the reason that your furnace is making a strange noise is for one very simple reason:
Your furnace needs repairs!
Of course, what you really want to know is just which noises indicate a problem, and what that problem might be. In this post, we’ll explain common furnace noises and what kind of attention they need.
Booming
If you hear what sounds like a mini-explosion going off in your furnace… well, that’s basically what it is! When too much gas builds up in the system, it will ignite with a loud boom. This is never something you should ignore, as it could lead to cracking the heat exchanger. A cracked heat exchanger can lead to an early replacement and possibly carbon monoxide leaks.
This usually happens when the gas burners have become too dirty and are delaying the ignition. Dirty gas burners are often a result of skipping maintenance.
Scraping
This is a common noise heard when the blower wheel is having issues. Hearing this noise is about as pleasant as listening to someone scrape a fork over the surface of a plate.
Sometimes it can easily be fixed by having a technician tighten the blower wheel. In less fortunate cases, the blower wheel may be broken and will need replacement. Either way, the best option is to call in a gas furnace expert in Rocky River, OH to assess the damage.
Screeching
You most likely have something wrong with your motor bearing or with the blower belt.
If it’s a motor bearing problem, a little bit of lubricant can help. And this isn’t something you can just fix with a little bit of WD-40—you’ll need proper lubricant from an HVAC professional to get the job done properly.
If it’s the blower belt, then you’ll need to have it replaced, otherwise, the blower will be out of commission. That can lead to overheating and further damage to the system.
Banging and Popping
This isn’t the same as the “booming” noise described above. In this case, what you’re probably hearing is the sound of the air ducts contracting.
Minimal banging and popping isn’t something to be worried about, but if it’s becoming a problem, there are a number of solutions available: replacing the ducts, insulating them, replacing the air filter, and more.
Prevent Strange Noises With Regular Maintenance
The best way to prevent any weird noises from plaguing your furnace is simply to have regularly scheduled maintenance performed on your system. Once annually, just before the fall and winter, is good enough.
A full maintenance check includes inspecting all of the components, replacing faulty ones, and cleaning parts that tend to collect soot and grime. It all goes a long way toward keeping your energy bill low and improving the lifespan of your gas furnace.
