When your furnace is running properly, it should provide warmth without generating too much noise. While it’s normal to notice your furnace making noise as it turns on, other noises are indicating your furnace needs immediate professional support.
Here are some of the most frequent furnace noises and what they could mean. If your furnace is making an odd noise, our friendly heating specialists are here to help with the best furnace repair in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
1. Furnace Making a Banging Noise
You could have a critical issue on your hands if you’re hearing your furnace making a banging noise. If your furnace is making a knocking noise, it might mean there could be a few problems. These include gas accumulating in your furnace or a ductwork problem.
Banging Sounds Coming from Your Furnace
Your heating system gets dirty over time, so that’s why it’s critical to book seasonal furnace maintenance with Childress Heating & AC. One of the things our technicians complete during this work is clean your furnace’s burners. When this part gets grimy, you could hear your furnace making a loud rumbling noise after ignition takes more time. The following gas buildup might fracture your furnace’s heat exchanger, where natural gas transforms into warm air. Any cracks in it can emit carbon monoxide, which is normally released away from your home. This toxic gas can be deadly in large concentrations.
If you’re noticing banging or knocking sounds coming from your furnace, Childress Heating & AC recommends turning it off and reaching us at 540-675-4306. Excessive natural gas in your furnace or a ruptured heat exchanger are critical problems that necessitate immediate service.
Banging Sounds Coming from Your Ductwork
Your furnace works with ductwork to provide hot air around your house. If the ductwork wasn’t put in correctly or is getting dated, it can be loud when your furnace is heating. This could be the problem if your furnace makes a banging noise when it shuts off. Get in touch with Childress Heating & AC at 540-675-4306 and we’ll figure out the problem.
2. Furnace Making a Buzzing Noise
If you hear your furnace making a buzzing noise, don’t wait to call us. A buzzing sound often is telling you there’s an electrical problem, like with its transformer, blower motor or capacitor.
Your furnace depends on an internal transformer to operate on the right voltage. If wires or the box needs to be tightened, you might hear a low humming noise in the furnace when off. Your furnace also uses a blower motor, which moves warm or chilly air across your house, and a capacitor, which turns on 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 can be the result of something little, like an unsecure screw, or something critical, like a broken component. In either case, we recommend shutting off your furnace and contacting our heating professionals at 540-675-4306 for support.
4. Furnace Is Making a High-Pitched Squealing Sound
If your furnace makes a high-pitched noise, like squealing, when it’s running, it’s making an effort to tell you it could use some TLC. If you’ve forgotten furnace maintenance the past few years, belts could be worn down or a bearing could need to be lubed. We know that maintenance frequently slips your mind, but our professionals can get your furnace operating quietly again quickly.
5. Furnace Makes a Whistling Sound Like Air Escaping
When you’re hearing your furnace making a whistling noise, it’s likely because of an air leak in your ductwork. You could also hear whistling while the furnace is operating if a floor vent isn’t secure. If you’ve checked your vents but are still hearing noise, Childress Heating & AC can help. It’s critical to get loose ductwork fixed without delay, as it can result in comfort troubles in your residence and increase your energy costs.
6. Furnace Makes Noise that Sounds Like Scraping Metal
It’s not a good sign if you detect your furnace making a grinding noise. This metal-on-metal racket frequently means there’s a problem with your furnace’s blower. Shut down your furnace off right away and reach our pros at 540-675-4306 for help.
When you’re getting a strange noise from your furnace, Childress Heating & AC is ready to support you. Contact us at 540-675-4306 to schedule your furnace repair appointment today.