Why Your Furnace Might be Making Strange Noises

Monday, February 15th, 2016 at 11:00 am

If you've had your furnace for any length of time, you're probably familiar with the kinds of noises it makes by now. If your furnace is making unusual noises of any kind, you shouldn't ignore it. Strange noises are often among the first symptoms of a problem with the furnace. Let's take a look at some of the more common furnace noises that indicate a need for repairs.

Grinding

The part of the furnace responsible for circulating air throughout the house is called the air handler. Moving that much air for an extended period of time puts a lot of stress on the air handler, so it uses lubricated bearings to reduce the friction on the system. These bearings wear down over time, causing the friction on the air handler to increase and producing a grinding sound. If the bearings are not replaced, the friction on the air handler will keep mounting until the motor overheats and burns itself out. Call for repairs as soon as you hear this noise.

Booming

If your furnace is making a loud booming sound when it starts up, it's probably because of a dirty burner assembly. In gas furnaces, a burner assembly is a collection of jets that combusts the gas to generate heat. Over time, carbon particles formed as a byproduct of gas combustion will collect on the burner assembly. Eventually, the carbon particle buildup can become so extensive that it prevents one or more of the jets from firing on time. When the jet finally does ignite, it burns through all of the excess gas at once and creates that booming sound. Professional burner assembly cleaning should fix the problem.

If you have any reason to believe that your furnace is in need of repair, call American Heating & Cooling. We offer furnace repair services throughout Prestonburg, KY.