HVAC Repair in New Jersey and the Noises Your Furnace Makes

You have lived in your home for a substantial period of time. By now, you have become quite immune to the chugging of the washing machine and the drone of the shower. That is, you hardly notice the sounds in your home at all. Even when your air conditioner or furnace starts making a funny noise, you tend to just ignore it. But this isn’t a very good idea as there are noises your furnace makes that are not at all normal and a telltale sign that something is amiss.

All good things must eventually come to an end, including the Motorola RAZR slide phone you loved so much, your beloved 1998 Hyundai Elantra and the mullet you sported until two years ago. So it is inevitable that someday you will have to replace your furnace. Now, the strange noise coming from your furnace could mean it has come to the end of its life or it could just be a quick fix, your HVAC professional will determine that.

Oxford Energy, your HVAC repair service in New Jersey, offers a few common sounds your furnace makes and what they could mean.

Hissing

A hissing noise means that something is escaping from your furnace. If the hissing is coming from behind your walls, there is a good chance that you have a leak in the ducts. Now, duct repair isn’t something you should be handling on your own, unless you know what you are doing. And watching a three-minute YouTube video doesn’t make you an expert in duct repair.

Rattling

If you hear a rattling noise coming from your ducts, it could be something that fell into your vents. If you have children, in all likelihood one of them dropped a toy in the vent. If this is the case, you can simply take the register off and fish out whatever may have fallen in the duct.

Banging

A banging noise when you first turn on your furnace could be a duct issue, or perhaps your house is haunted. Just kidding, everybody knows ghosts prefer to make a rattling noise. If you hear a banging noise when you turn on your furnace, go around the house and check for closed vents.

A banging noise could also indicate a more serious problem, like a dirty burner or faulty pilot light, so you should have it checked out.

Popping

Metal ducts tend to expand and contract when your furnace goes on and turns off, this could account for any popping noises you might hear.

Scraping

Scraping sounds are often made when metal is rubbing on metal. This could be a blower that has come loose from the motor shaft or a loose or broken motor mount. Whatever it is, it needs attention right away. In fact, when you hear a scraping noise coming from your furnace, turn it off right away and give us a call.

If your furnace is making funny noises, don’t ignore it, give Oxford Energy a call instead.