When a Noisy Furnace is a Symptom of a Problem

Normal Furnace Noises

• You may hear “no so loud” occasional poppingwhen it is extra cold outside. Those pops are actually coming from the ductwork and pipes and not from the furnace. Air ducts hiss and hum when the furnace’s blower runs because they expand and contract with your heating system. This is most common with metal air ducts.
• Although this popping noise usually doesn’t mean you have a major furnace problem, it may mean you have a clogged air filter. Check and change your filter if the popping noise becomes more frequent and louder. If that doesn’t work, you may have a more serious furnace problem and we suggest you call for a furnace check up.

  If the furnace noise is incessant and you’re hearing it loud enough that it wakes you up at night, your furnace most likely has a problem that needs to be immediately addressed by a professional. Here are common furnaces noises that typically require repair or replacement:

• Loud scraping or a metal-on-metal noise many times means there is an issue with the furnace’s blower or motor. If you hear a scraping or a metal-on-metal sound, turn off your furnace and call Choice Comfort Services for troubleshooting because these noises are usually one of three things:
• The blower wheel is loose from the motor shaft and hitting the casing. It may or may not need to be replaced.
• The blower wheel is broken and needs to be replaced.
• The motor mount is broken and needs to be replaced.
• A very loud bang or pop when you turn the furnace on usually means you have dirty build-up on your furnace burner. It is affecting ignition of the furnace and is requiring excessive gas to be output before it turns itself on. When enough gas does allow the furnace to finally ignite, you are hearing that loud bang or pop. This is a very serious problem because this issue could cause your heat exchanger to crack and that is avery expensive repair, if reparable at all. NOTE: This is very easily solved with regular furnace maintenance, as the elements are cleaned with annual heating system tune-ups
• As mentioned earlier, some air ducts expanding and contracting cause loud bangs and pops. But if the air ducts are excessively popping, banging and rattling, you may have big holes and open seams and those should be repaired. Air duct sealing can eliminate most of those noises. For more information on air duct sealing, call us at Choice Comfort. Not only does air duct sealing eliminate excessive noise, but it also helps save on your heating and cooling costs, helps eliminate hot and cold spots in the home and minimizes dust and other allergens/pollutants entering your living spaces.
• Another alarming sound that may come from a problem furnace is a high-pitched squealing noise. This may a symptom of:
• a loose or slipping blower belt
• a malfunctioning blower motor
• or a shaft bearing that needs oiling

These problems usually can be fixed with just a minor repairs, but if ignored thesemay cause bigger problems with your furnace.

Choice Comfort Services NATE-certified technicians are specially trained to identify and fix furnace noises. We offer complete furnace repairs on all makes and models in the Dayton, Ohio area. Call us at 937-982-5055.