As your furnace switches on and prepares to warm up your residence, it’s common for it to make some noise. These sounds, like the burners igniting and the blower operating, are all part of the typical start-up procedures.
But there are a few things you can do to make your furnace quieter this winter.
1. Request Annual Furnace Maintenance
Furnace maintenance is highly important, because it keeps your manufacturer warranty in place. This helps shield you if something big stops working in your furnace during your warranty period.
It can also help our professionals find little issues that could make your furnace noisy. And potentially help you prevent a breakdown on the coldest day of the year. The Indoor Air Quality Association reports that routine maintenance can lower your chance of furnace breakdowns by up to 95%.
If minor furnace troubles go unnoticed, they may result in trouble down the road. By unearthing these problems sooner, our pros can get your furnace fixed before heating season is underway.
And most essential, professional cleaning and lubrication of your furnace’s moving pieces can help make it more efficient. A correctly maintained furnace could save up to 30% on your heating bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
2. Frequently Change Your Furnace’s Air Filter
Your air filter helps keep your house’s air fresh and clean. When it gets too filthy, it can make your furnace turn on and off more than it should. Known as short cycling, this can cause your furnace to eat up additional gas and make it stop working faster.
Our recommendations for changing your furnace filter:
- Flat filter: Every month
- Pleated filter: Every three months
You may have to replace your filter more often if you have allergies or pets.
3. Get in Touch with Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling When Your Furnace Is Creating Odd Noises
Some furnaces, particularly older ones, could make more noise than others. But if you’re detecting exceedingly loud or weird noises, you should get in touch with a heating and cooling company like Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling for furnace repair in Des Moines.
Here are a couple of noises to be on the lookout for, how to repair them and when to contact a specialist.
Furnace Making Gurgling or Bubbling Noise
This noise happens more frequently with high-efficiency furnaces. That’s since they emit fumes in another way than older furnaces, and the process can create some moisture. If your furnace is experiencing difficulties removing this water, it could make gurgling or bubbling sounds. You’ll require skilled support for this problem, since it can be created by a blocked drain pipe or clogged drain pan.
Furnace Making Banging Noise
It’s not a great thing when your furnace is making a banging sound. It might mean a few things.
Haven’t had maintenance done recently and your furnace is creating a banging sound when beginning? Its burners might be dirty. Dirty burners can stall ignition, which causes gas to accumulate in your furnace.
All that increased gas can make a banging or booming noise when your furnace ultimately does ignite. But this is more than merely an irritating noise, since the accumulated gas is igniting within your furnace. This can crack your furnace’s heat exchanger and cause a dangerous carbon monoxide leak.
If you’ve forgotten regular maintenance for your furnace and you’re hearing this noise, give Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling a shout at 515-207-6569. Our heating pros will get your furnace tuned up and ensure it’s running correctly.
Your ductwork can also produce banging sounds when your furnace switches on, because the metal is expanding and contracting.
We recommend first checking your furnace’s air filter and installing a new one if it’s dirty. Next, make sure you don’t have too many vents shut in your home, as it can force air pressure out of balance.
If neither of these methods repair the sound, your ductwork could be dirty or undersized, which will require assistance from a skilled HVAC tech.
Furnace Making Humming or Buzzing Noise
If your furnace is buzzing or humming, it’s a sign there’s an electrical problem. This is most often seen with a dying blower fan motor, which will make a loud buzzing noise when your furnace switches on. It may also mean there’s a problem with the capacitor or transformer. All three of these troubles need support from a professional heating and cooling company like Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling.
Furnace Making Knocking Noise
If your furnace is making knocking sounds, it’s typically a symptom that an internal part is dying. This can be anything from a bearing to a belt or the gas valve. It could also be an indication that your burners need to be cleaned.
These problems are often uncovered during annual maintenance provided by a certified HVAC professional. So, while we’re at your home performing repairs, don’t forget to ask us about requesting your maintenance appointment for the future.
Furnace Making Clicking Noise
A clicking sound might be the result of problems: worn bearings, gas valve troubles or ignition problems. All these problems need specialized support.
At Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling, our pros are here to help you relax in peaceful, energy-efficient comfort. If your furnace is louder than it usually is or producing strange sounds, contact us at 515-207-6569 to book an appointment today.