When your furnace is operating properly, it should provide heat without making too much noise. While it’s common to catch your furnace making noise as it starts up, other disruptions are indicating your furnace should get immediate professional support.
Here are some of the most reported furnace noises and what they might be indicating. If your furnace is making an atypical noise, our friendly heating professionals are here to assist with the best furnace repair in Manassas, Virginia.
1. Furnace Makes Banging or Knocking Sounds
You may have a critical situation on your hands if you’re hearing your furnace making a banging noise. If your furnace is making a knocking noise, it might indicate there could be several problems. These range from gas increasing in your furnace or a ductwork issue.
Banging Sounds Coming from Your Furnace
Your heating system gets filthy over time, so that’s why it’s essential to schedule annual furnace maintenance with Air-Right Energy Design. One of the jobs our technicians do during this service is clean your furnace’s burners. When this component gets grubby, you might hear your furnace making a loud rumbling noise if ignition is delayed. The resulting gas buildup might break your furnace’s heat exchanger, where natural gas transforms into warmth. Any cracks in it can emit carbon monoxide, which is regularly released outside. This hazardous gas can be deadly in large concentrations.
If you’re noticing banging or knocking sounds coming from your furnace, Air-Right Energy Design recommends turning it off and reaching us at 703-260-1148. Too much natural gas in your furnace or a broken heat exchanger are critical troubles that require immediate repairs.
Banging Sounds Coming from Your Ductwork
Your furnace uses ductwork to move hot air across your house. If the ductwork wasn’t put in correctly or is getting dated, it can be noisy when your furnace is on. This might be the case if your furnace makes a banging noise when it shuts off. Contact Air-Right Energy Design at 703-260-1148 and we’ll figure out the problem.
2. Furnace Makes a Buzzing Sound
If you hear your furnace making a buzzing noise, don’t wait to call us. A buzzing sound typically is telling you there’s an electrical issue, like with its transformer, blower motor or capacitor.
Your furnace depends on an internal transformer to operate on the right voltage. If wires or the box isn’t tight enough, you might hear a low humming noise in the furnace when off. Your furnace also uses a blower motor, which moves warm or cooled air around your space, and a capacitor, which turns on the motor. If either of these parts are fading, they will buzz when the furnace switches on.
3. Furnace Making a Rattling Noise
If your furnace is making a rattling noise, it could be related to something minor, like an unfastened screw, or something major, like a broken component. In either case, we advise shutting your furnace off and contacting our heating specialists at 703-260-1148 for assistance.
4. Furnace Making a Squealing Noise
If your furnace makes a high-pitched noise, like squealing, when it’s heating, it’s trying to get your attention it could use some TLC. If you’ve skipped furnace maintenance the past few years, belts could be worn out or a bearing could need to be lubed. We are aware that maintenance often slips your mind, but our techs can get your furnace running quietly again fast.
5. Furnace Whistles
When you’re hearing your furnace making a whistling noise, it’s likely because of an air leak in your ductwork. You could also hear whistling while the furnace is working if a floor vent is loose. If you’ve checked your vents but are still hearing whistling, Air-Right Energy Design can provide support. It’s critical to get loose ductwork taken care of quickly, because it can create comfort troubles in your house and increase your gas bills.
6. Furnace Makes Noise that Sounds Like Scraping Metal
It’s not an encouraging sign if you detect your furnace making a grinding noise. This metal-on-metal noise typically means there’s trouble with your furnace’s blower. Shut down your furnace off right away and call our professionals at 703-260-1148 for help.
When you’re hearing an atypical noise from your furnace, Air-Right Energy Design is available to help. Contact us at 703-260-1148 to request your furnace repair appointment today.
