Odd furnace noises aren't just a nuisance. They can be indicators of trouble with your furnace, so you should pay attention if you hear your furnace complaining. By listening carefully to your furnace noise, you may be able to determine what's wrong with it, and you can have an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) expert out to fix your issue immediately.
Here's a few common furnace noises, and the typical reasons they occur:
- Squealing: If your furnace is making a high-pitched squeal, your technician may simply need to apply lightweight oil to the motor lubrication ports. However, a squealing furnace noise also can indicate that a blower belt is loose, slipping or frayed. You should have a technician inspect whether the belt needs to be tightened or replaced.
- Low-pitched rumbling: If your furnace burners are on, and you hear a low-pitched rumbling furnace noise, then the burners likely need to be cleaned. Ash and debris collects on the burners over time, because of their location underneath the gas flame. It’s easy for a trained technician to clean and adjust the burners. If the low-pitched rumbling occurs when the burners are off, you may need to have the pilot light adjusted.
- Other random, unusual noises: Random, unusual furnace noises often mean that the furnace's fans or blowers require professional servicing.
If your furnace is talking to you, and audibly complaining with squealing, rumbling, or odd noises, you shouldn't ignore it. Otherwise, you could end up having to pay for expensive repairs, or even a replacement furnace, if small issues escalate into major problems.
To avoid being left without a furnace in the bitter cold Mid-Ohio winter, address your furnace noises sooner rather than later by calling Joe Behr Plumbing and Heating today. We've proudly served residential customers since 1965, and we can provide the expert care that'll make your furnace quiet down and work hard to keep you warm all winter long.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace noise and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Joe Behr Plumbing and Heating, Inc. services the Mid-Ohio area.
