You rely on your furnace kicking out the heat when it gets cold in West End, NC. However, you’ve noticed it’s making an unusual sound, and you need to know if it’s something dangerous or important. Consider these four noises your furnace may make and what they may mean.
1. Rattling
If your furnace rattles, it could indicate something as simple as a loose part moving as your furnace cycles. However, if that rattling only happens when your heating system first starts up, you may have a cracked heat exchanger. This is a very dangerous situation that could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, so call for a repair immediately.
2. Grinding or Scraping
A grinding or scraping sound is most commonly caused by bad bearings in the blower motor, indicating it needs replacing. If left without fixing, it could cause metal shavings to get into other parts, causing additional damage. This is a common problem as furnaces age, and simply requires a new blower motor installed.
3. Banging or Popping
Your ducts may flex when the warm air hits the cold metal, causing a banging or popping sound. However, if the sound is loud, it may indicate an issue with the igniter or dirty burners. In either case, it can cause a buildup of fuel that suddenly combusts, causing the sound.
As you can imagine, this is dangerous and poses a risk of damaging your heating system or worse. A technician cleans and tests your burners and ignition during routine furnace maintenance, preventing the banging and popping.
4. Furnace Whistling
Airflow restrictions cause your unit to whistle, much like when you whistle with your mouth. The common causes for furnace whistling include a clogged air filter, duct blockages or closed vents or dampers.
If your furnace is making any unusual noises, get it checked out before it poses a danger to your home. Call to schedule your furnace repair appointment with one of our expert technicians at Sandhills Heating, Refrigeration & Electrical today.
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