What sounds do you relate to this time of the year? Maybe the sound of a quiet day of snow or the sound of kids laughing and running around on their winter break? Perhaps you think of the sound of bells, the sound of lively chatter around the dinner table, or the sound of your favorite holiday songs.
We can almost guarantee you don’t relate the winter season to the sounds of a malfunctioning heater. And you shouldn’t! The sounds we will discuss here mean that you need a heater repair in Charlottesville, VA.
6 Sounds Your Heater Isn’t Meant to Make
When you hear something that doesn’t seem quite right coming from your heater, it is always better to get things checked out. This is especially true if you hear any of the following noises.
- Screeching: This is a sharp, abrasive sound that you don’t want to hear from any mechanical device in your home. When it comes from your heater, it may mean that you have a broken fan blade or a blower motor belt that needs lubrication or replacement.
- Rattling: If it sounds like something is shaking around inside of your heater then you should get it checked out. This could be something as simple as a loose blower door or it may indicate a different loose part that poses a bigger problem. Make sure to address this noise before it worsens.
- Booming: This is a noise you may hear from a furnace that uses natural gas. If there is something hindering the ignition of the gas in the furnace, the gas may build up until it all ignites at once, creating that boom. This creates a lot of stress for the furnace and can lead to early replacement if it isn’t repaired ASAP.
- Hissing: Hissing is not the same as the healthy whoosh of air from a heater. If you have a heat pump, hissing can indicate a refrigerant leak. From a gas furnace, hissing could indicate gas escaping from a cracked heat exchanger. In either case, hissing can also indicate leaks are present in your ductwork.
- Dripping: Yes, you may hear dripping coming from your heating system. This can indicate improper condensate drainage or humidity issues. In a heat pump, it can also indicate a refrigerant leak. Dripping sounds all wrong coming from a heater because it is all wrong!
- Buzzing: Does your heater make a buzzing or humming noise when it is starting up or throughout its operation? This isn’t a good sign. In the best case, it may indicate a dirty filter in dire need of changing. In the worst-case scenarios, buzzing can be due to a cracked heat exchanger or an electrical issue.
Listen up! When your heater makes new noises it is trying to tell you something. If you aren’t sure what it is trying to say, you can come to us to translate and get things fixed up.
We can’t control the weather outside your home, but we can control the weather inside your home. Contact the experts at Mack Morris Heating & Air Conditioning to get your heater back in working order.