You haven’t turned your heater on in a little while. You crank the thermostat as it gets chilly, only to find that you hear a slew of clunky, odd sounds that emerge from your heater. This isn’t what it sounded like last year, so what gives?
These noises mean you may need heating service in White Oak, OH. We’ll go over all the different sounds that your heater is making, what they mean, and how severe they are.
Loud Chirping Sounds
Your blower fan is meant to help push a heavy volume of air through your vents. That chirping sound is the blower wheel grinding against a loose mounting plate. If all goes well, tightening the mounting plate should be enough.
If not, some damage may have already occurred. You can’t exactly run a heater without a blower fan. If this is damaged, it may need to be replaced so there are no operational issues. Don’t run your heater if you hear a loud chirping sound.
Clicking That Doesn’t End
That clicking noise could be a bigger problem than you think. This usually comes from the heat exchanger, which handles dangerous gasses, including carbon monoxide. If your heat exchanger is leaking, you’re at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning.
Air pressure changes from within your furnace happen frequently, which is what causes this sound. However, it’s not one you’re supposed to be able to hear. One of the only times you’ll hear it is from cracks in your heat exchanger.
Unsettling Rattling Sounds
The most common component of your furnace to cause a rattling sound is the bolts in your access hatch. This doesn’t sound like a big issue, but if they continue to bang around, they can damage other components of your furnace. The noises will only get louder as vibrations further disconnect the bolts.
Errie High-Pitched Screeching
Do you like the sound of metal scraping against metal? We didn’t think so. This is a sign that the metal bearings in your blower fan need to be lubricated (at best). While any other metal components could be screeching together, it’s normally the blower fan.
Once the lubrication dries up, it needs to be replenished. This is something that happens during your annual maintenance visit, but depending on how much you’ve used your heater this year, it may dry up faster.
Loud Banging Sound
Your furnace is going to make a few bangs here and there, especially if it’s cold when you turn it on. The sound of metal expanding isn’t exactly quiet. But if this sound continues after you’ve turned your furnace on, it indicates that there’s something else wrong.
Your Furnace Needs Help
If your furnace is making any of these sounds, it’s in need of some serious assistance. It should operate relatively quietly throughout the day apart from a few bangs when it fires up after being cold or not turned on for a while. Don’t leave this to chance; get your furnace fixed as soon as possible.
Contact JM Mechanical Heating & Cooling to schedule your heater repair and reclaim your comfort now.