What is that Strange Furnace Sound?
Posted by Moore Home Services
HVAC Basics
What is that Strange Furnace Sound?
Is there anything more unsettling than waking up in the middle of the night to hear a scratching, banging, or wailing noise? We think not. The silver lining to hearing these noises is that it’s probably not a ghost or a burglar, it’s probably your furnace.
After you get over the annoyance of waking up, be sure to make a note of the sound, you’ll want to call an HVAC professional and tell them what’s going on during normal daylight hours.
Also, if you’re wondering what that strange furnace sound is, keep reading.
Furnace Making a Squealing Noise
It goes without saying that a normal furnace doesn’t scream, squeal, or squeak. When you hear any of these noises coming from your vents, it’s time to investigate.
Just like a car motor. The blower motor in your furnace uses a belt to help power the system and keep it moving. Over time and with use this belt can loosen or fray. When a belt is in bad shape, it can make a high pitched squealing noise.
The fun doesn’t stop at a belt. The blower motor is held in place by a set of ball bearings. Every so often, a ball bearing can get loose or might be in need of some lubricant. These are both situations in which your furnace would make a squealing noise.
Furnace Making a Clicking Noise
Another common noise complaint is clicking. There are more than a few reasons you could be hearing a clicking sound coming from the furnace.
Usually, when you hear a clicking from the furnace there’s a problem with the ignition. It’s similar to when you try to start a car with a dead battery. You’ll hear click, click, click, but nothing starts.
The loose ball bearings we mentioned above can do more than squeal. And the final major reason you’ll hear a clicking sound from the furnace is because something is stuck in the fan. Or to be more specific, something is stuck in the path of the fan blade.
Every time the fan makes a rotation, it’ll hit whatever is in the way. Which makes a clicking noise.
No matter what it is, a clicking noise should not be ignored. Take the time and schedule an appointment with your local HVAC company to have it checked out.
Furnace Making a Rattling Noise
The blower motor (notice a theme here?) needs to be balanced to perform correctly. When things are not aligned, it’s safe to say they won’t work too well, and it’ll make an annoying rattling noise.
In addition to the ball bearings we’ve talked about, some blower motors has balancing weights or clips attached to it. These clips make sure it stays in place.
Without proper maintenance, dust and debris can build up in your blower chamber. Too much debris can push the weights out of place or cause the lube on the bearings to dry up. Both of these things will make the blower motor sound like a giant baby rattle.
There’s a reason you may hear rattling that has nothing to do with your furnace. Instead, it’s in the ductwork. Sometimes, Sometimes, ductwork can pry itself loose and needs to be reattached. The rattling comes from ductwork that has fallen out of place.
No matter how well you take care of your system, it will need professional maintenance. We recommend having someone out twice per year to tune-up and clean the furnace and condenser. Call the number at the top of the screen or click here to schedule an appointment with the experts at Moore Home Services.
