Tag: Heating

Why is my Furnace So Loud and How Do I Fix It?

Written by onestoput on July 26, 2022. Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

Colder months must be maddening if you can’t live without warm air but struggle with loud noises.

Why is my furnace so loud?

Your heating system may be in trouble if you hear a loud bang instead of a bit of cling-clang. If furnace noises keep you up at night, whether a loose screw or restricted airflow is to blame, it won’t go away by itself. Routine maintenance and tune-up services are a must, especially with older furnaces.

Rattling noises may indicate loose parts, but a carbon monoxide leak does not sound like anything. Without a carbon monoxide alarm, you may not detect the hazardous leak in time.

Call a professional HVAC technician immediately if you suspect one. A reliable HVAC technician will help you remedy a furnace making unusual noises and suspect your airflow for any hazards.

Here’s everything you need to know about your noisy furnace.

Loud Furnace: Should I Be Worried?

If a professional technician regularly inspects your well-maintained HVAC system, then no. Some annoying noises are just that. Furnace noises aren’t unusual and may result from vibrations, especially when it is linked to air ducts.

However, you should worry about your loud furnace if you neglect routine maintenance and inspection. A poorly maintained furnace making noises may indicate a much more serious problem. Don’t worry. You can still salvage your old furnace by detecting a serious problem early.

Let’s familiarize ourselves with a furnace’s various noises and possible causes.

What Causes a Noisy Furnace?

Any noise indicates operations, cogs turning, resource burning, and output distribution. However, the volume and frequency can help you determine whether there is a malfunction.

Loud noises are worrisome. These noises indicate various stressors and hindrances. You must know what these noises mean to keep you and your entire family safe from their potential hazards.

A Cracked Heat Exchanger

A cracked heat exchanger disrupts the heating cycle, producing insufficient heating and a whistling noise.

A faulty heat exchanger may be due to the high-pressure air or gas buildup formed by air and heat exchange. Your heat exchanger may develop abrasions or corrosion and eventually crack under all that static pressure. It’s important to pay attention to that whistling sound and listen if rattling noises accompany them.

Note: Gas buildup may leak out of cracks and into your airways.

Carbon monoxide may make it into your air ducts and cause hazardous indoor air, especially if you have a central air conditioning system. Warm air traveling through ductwork is only filtered in some ways. If your air ducts aren’t regularly cleaned or checked, your ductwork may already be saturated with toxic gases.

Immediately contact a professional HVAC technician to fix the crack or replace the heat exchanger. Any issues with your heat exchanger left untreated for a long period may lead to bigger problems.

Still, it would be best if you prevented minor issues from snowballing into bigger ones that crack your heat exchanger. So how does your heat exchanger sustain a crack?

Dirty Burners

Banging noises aren’t typical. They are not operational noises stemming from vibrations or burning. Just the opposite! Banging or popping noises indicate overcompensation from other components or forceful operations.

The sudden ignition of the surplus of gas trapped within your furnace produces a loud booming noise. The banging noise is due to delayed ignition. The gas line continues supplying your furnace with the necessary fuel at the rate your home demands through control systems. However, dirty burners hinder the pilot light from igniting the gas resulting in delayed ignition.

The delay in ignition firing up that much gas all at once causes a shaky and loud furnace. If whistling sounds accompany the popping, your dirty burners may have already cracked your heat exchanger.

Regularly cleaning your furnace, its entire surface, and everything accessible to you will prevent dust from settling. Make it a habit to cover your furnace during warmer months when it isn’t used to keep dust, insects, mold, and mildew from infiltrating its access points.

A Clogged Air Filter

Another reason to keep the outside of your furnace clean is to ward off any buildup from saturating your furnace filter. A filter can effectively keep impurities from contaminating your breathing air. However, the filtration systems of your AC units, ducts, and home directly filter your indoor atmosphere.

A furnace filter keeps the interior of your furnace clean, ensuring none of its internal components are contaminated or obstructed by any particles. It is the line of defense your furnace relies on against different debris. However, a clogged air filter can’t protect your furnace from damage and contamination, leading to scraping sounds and hindered heating.

A dirty filter leads to various issues with different particles building up and shaking around your furnace. Always clean dirty filters to protect critical furnace components from sustaining any damage.

Small particles scratching metal components produce rattling and screeching sounds. A loud scraping noise or something like metal against metal sound means little rocks or loose parts are scratching against each other.

You need to call a professional technician to fix the problem immediately before hazardous debris enters your fan belt or motor.

A Malfunctioning Blower Motor or Motor

Possibly the most costly fix furnace noises will ever warrant involves your blower motor and fan belt. The blower motor facilitates airflow and is vital to the entire operation. If your blower fan and blower motor won’t work properly, it results in a compromised airflow, producing a whistling sound.

Debris caught in the fan belt, or blower wheel produces a louder rattling noise. If debris is caught between the fan blades and the blower wheel, it will sound more like screeching. You must contact experts immediately if you suspect debris or loose elements are knocking around your blower wheel.

It may cause a domino effect if these loose elements are blown into your home’s ductwork. Your air ducts lead to different heating vents and HVAC components which may negatively affect their components. Anything metal rattling around other components results in damage and scratching noises.

External elements infiltrating your blower motor are a different story. Your blower fan has metal fan blades, but the motor is an engine and houses electrical components. Debris fraying wires may result in a mini-explosion leading to different fire hazards.

Yes, it’s a possibility. A miniature explosion or flame can lead to a bigger one when there’s gas involved. It’s a long shot, but the worst-case scenario of a malfunctioning motor is causing a large explosion when it’s too close to your gas supply.

Be sure to call the experts to fix your furnace before something more drastic takes place. Something that might seem small now can lead to hazardous and potentially fatal problems.

Unusual Noises: Do’s & Don’ts

We know your furnace deals with a potentially volatile mix of different elements. It is best to enlist specialists to fix any problems. However, there are some remedies you can do at home if you don’t have the resources to hire a professional.

Note: A DIY remedy isn’t a quick fix that encompasses all your furnace noises. Do not attempt to eliminate a noise you aren’t familiar with or fix internal components without expert tools and techniques. You are posing a danger to yourself and the furnace.

Here’s what you can do instead:

What You Can Do Yourself?

Remember to turn your furnace off and unplug it from any electrical outlet. If a valve regulates the fuel supply, shut it off before removing the combustion chamber doors to access internal components.

Vacuum the surface of burners and blowers.
Gently wipe off debris from fan blades.
Dust or wipe off excess moisture on the pilot light with an emery cloth.
Dust or wipe off the opening of ducts and vents.
Inspect the interior for any pollution and possible obstructions.

Remember, rattling and whistling that isn’t loud may be harder to notice. However, they aren’t always harmless. A thorough vacuum should be enough to remedy a minor rattling noise.

If the noise persists and gets louder or worse, there might be more issues than debris or a loose screw rattling around your blower. Pick off all the loose elements around your blower, but if there aren’t any to produce the loud sound you heard, more comprehensive repairs may be in order.

Some homeowners can conduct minor repairs and tune-ups, such as replacing filters or cleaning the surface igniter. However, we cannot advise everyone to do these themselves. Some of us have sensitive skin and are more receptive to allergens.

What You Should Leave to the Experts?

You should contact a professional technician if you hear a different noise or notice unknown particles within your furnace. An unfamiliar noise may be hazardous to check out without proper know-how and equipment.

Don’t wait! Report the noise.

Furnace Maintenance & Tune-Ups

Remember, there is a way to avoid unwarranted breakdowns and nuances. Preventive maintenance and tune-up services ensure your furnace doesn’t stall in the middle of winter. Routine furnace maintenance also lengthens the lifespan of your heating system.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

We got just the guys for you if you need reliable furnace repair around Sandy, Utah. At One-Stop Heating, we prioritize your comfort and safety.

Leave your worries to us.

Call us anytime for emergency heating repair. Our top-rated team of honest and reliable experts will be there!

Call Us Now At (801) 355-9500

Difference between a Heat Pump and a Furnace

Written by onestoput on June 14, 2022. Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

We know this thought has crossed every homeowner’s mind at one point. Which is better? Which is more efficient? Which is more reliable?

While both a heat pump and a furnace installation make fine home heating systems, the former has the upper hand in overall efficiency. A furnace installation in homes is tales as old as time, and it’s traditional to have at least one powering your air and water heating needs.

Environmental factors play the most significant role in the Heat Pump VS Furnace debate. Yes, it boils down to environmental impact, but in a way that affects how much you spend on monthly bills. However, as decades pass and climate change worsens, it’s only ideal to opt for more energy efficiency and sustainability. Here’s how.

The Difference Between A Heat Pump and a Furnace

We can answer the Heat Pump VS Furnace debate in very few words.

Heat pumps work without the process of combustion in facilitating natural heat in and out of your home.
Furnaces generate heat and produce greenhouse gas emissions to produce heat.

Based on these two statements, you can already tell their most significant difference lies in their heat sources. Furnaces generate heat by burning natural gas, oil, or coal. They can also generate heat through electricity. However, heat pump systems transfer heat instead of generating their own through combustion.

Heat Pumps Don’t Generate Heat

A heat pump works by absorbing heat from natural elements, transferring their heat energy into transfer fluids transmitted through heat exchangers before compression to provide your indoor handlers with sufficient heat for distribution.

The Heat Pump Heating System:

There are different heat pumps, but none burn any resources to provide your home with heat. A heat pump system does three main things:

Absorb heat through an outdoor unit. (Compressor unit)
Transmit heat energy through a series of heat exchangers.
Distribute heat into your home’s air or water supply.

However, there is an internal debacle within the Heat Pump VS Furnace argument. Let’s call it the Heat Pump Debate.

The Three Types of Heat Pumps

Which of the three heat pumps is the most energy efficient and reliable? The answer may depend on your climate, environment, and other factors. However, they are proven more energy-efficient than furnaces and air conditioning systems.

Air-to-Air Source Heat Pumps

Residential homes and commercial buildings should opt for air-to-air heat pumps for ambient heating. The air source heat pumps transfer heat directly into your home’s air handler or air conditioner after traveling through ductwork for indoor distribution.

Most air conditioning systems have an air source heat pump to manage temperatures. This heat pump is utilized within other HVAC systems because of its versatile and efficient functions. Heat transfer isn’t typically stored anywhere in air-to-air source pumps and can handle heat management better even during cold climates.

Air-to-Water Source Heat Pumps

An air-to-water source heat pump works nearly the same as an air-to-air. However, this heat pump system transfers heat into an indoor unit filled with water and other liquid utilized for heat distribution.

Air-to-water source heat pumps such as radiators, centralized underfloor heating systems, and boilers are better suited for areas with a mild climate. The system’s functions are most efficient in mild climates because both warmer climates and colder climates can affect the temperature of the liquid storage storing heat energy.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

A ground source heat pump, also known as Geothermal, derives heat from the moisture in the soil. It reduces waste by recycling the abundant amounts of heat it collects during summer and reuses them in winter when heat particles are more scarce.

It surprisingly does well against a cold climate. It currently sets the gold standard for heating systems that provide heat efficiently sans carbon utilization and emission.

Dual fuel system

A dual fuel system combines a gas furnace and an electric heat pump. If it sounds overkill, maybe you have never lived in colder climates where the temperature drops below zero regularly. However, you don’t need to live in the North Pole to have a duel fuel system. Some homes and establishments use them for multi-purpose heating or in case of emergency needs. A dual fuel system has a gas furnace for supplementary or auxiliary heating.

Heat pumps provide better Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), but traditional furnaces are more useful for areas with unreliable electricity. As most heat pumps are electric, during a power outage, they won’t be able to sustain higher temperatures unless the gas furnace kicks in as your home’s backup heat source. By deploying heat-generating functions through its gas supply, combustion chamber, and either a pilot light or electronic ignition, the whole shebang!

Furnaces Generate Own Heat

Opting for these heating devices can help you save money on unit and installation costs. Still, the resources they use to provide your home with hot air during the cold weather can be detrimental to the environment and your home’s air quality.

The Furnace Heating System:

Furnaces are less reliant on your home’s outdoor temperature by creating their own heat source. Typically, all furnaces work by burning natural gas, coal, wood, and oil. There are electric furnaces you can opt for, and while they are more efficient than more classic installations, they still trail behind heat pumps in terms of energy efficiency.

Natural Gas furnace

With gas furnaces, energy costs may come lower. However, gas furnaces have an installation cost nearly twice as much as other furnace types. Traditional gas furnaces have a natural gas supply with a pilot light ignition. Its more modern counter-parts come with flame sensors (Thermocouple) which control gas and ignition valves as an added safety measure. One of its many cons includes how well it can hold up against cold air blowing through your basement or crawl space your furnace is installed. Cold air can clog thermocouples with debris and residual gas, preventing the ignition of the pilot flame.

Electric furnace

Unlike gas and oil furnaces, an electric furnace can draw in outside air to aid its heating composition. It uses electricity to produce heat and outside air to supplement its production. Like most heating and cooling systems, electric furnaces distribute warm air with a blower fan and air ducts for ambient heating. Electric furnaces generate less heat or energy loss, making them the most energy-efficient furnace out of the three. However, an electric furnace can’t double serve as your home’s cooling system.

Heat Pumps VS Air Conditioners

A heat pump is typically installed within an air conditioner. It’s a heating device, but its faculty can double as a cooling system. An air conditioner cannot extract heat indoors, but one with a heat pump built into it can. Air conditioning systems keep you cool during hot weather by extracting heat through an indoor air handler and transmitting it outdoors. An inverse heating process no other HVAC system can execute or do as efficiently as a heat pump could.

How Do Air Conditioners Work?

There are different kinds of air conditioning systems. Some have ductwork, while others have more direct links via copper coils. Air conditioning devices without a heat pump are more like ventilation systems by their utility of outside air, except they may come with temperature-altering functions if attached to a furnace.

A centralized air conditioner also uses a blower fan to distribute air through ductwork. Units with more energy efficiency are called ductless mini-split systems and operate temperatures based on different thermostat settings per indoor air handler. Ductless systems are more sustainable than others. Still, a home heating system can falter when we don’t meet different maintenance requirements.

The Routine Maintenance of All HVAC Systems

A furnace, heat pump, and air conditioning system require regular cleaning and tune-up. Nearly all HVAC systems have air filters. If they aren’t cleaned routinely, they may overflow with contaminants resulting in your system stalling or malfunctioning. Annual routine maintenance can save you from costly repairs in the future.

A heat pump with a dirty filter deploys safety techniques to diffuse airflow and preserve air quality. A heat pump that suddenly stops working may need an air filter replacement, refrigerant replenishment, or coil restoration. A leak from filters and refrigerant storage can freeze coils, hindering heat pump functions. You must schedule regular maintenance and tune-ups to ensure your systems work properly through different seasons.

One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning

Please don’t settle for unreliable contractors if you are tired of the outdoor air determining your internal temperatures. You can find an affordable and reliable contractor in Utah. Check out our list of services for one that suits your needs best.

Our professional services include furnace repair and furnace maintenance for both furnaces and heat pumps. We can also help you integrate a heat pump with our heating system installation if you are tired of your old gas furnace and want an upgrade!

Call (801) 355-9500

Contact our team of experts through our hotline 24/7 for emergency assistance and urgent inquiries.

Why is my Furnace leaking Water?

Written by onestoput on May 31, 2022. Posted in Heating, Heating & Cooling, HVAC, Maintenance.