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