As your furnace switches on and begins to heat your home, it’s expected for it to produce some noise. These sounds, such as the burners lighting and the blower whirring, are all part of the usual start-up procedures.
But there are several things you can do to make your furnace run more quietly this winter.
1. Book Yearly Furnace Maintenance
Furnace maintenance is highly important, since it keeps your manufacturer warranty valid. This helps shield you if something major stops working in your furnace during your warranty period.
It can also help our pros find little issues that can make your furnace annoying. And maybe help you prevent a meltdown on the coldest day of the year. The Indoor Air Quality Association reports that regular maintenance can decrease your chance of furnace breakdowns by up to 95%.
If little furnace issues go ignored, they may lead to trouble down the road. By finding these problems sooner, our professionals can get your furnace repaired before heating season begins.
And most essential, professional cleaning and lubrication of your furnace’s moving parts can help make it more efficient. A correctly maintained furnace could save up to 30% on your utility costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
2. Frequently Replace Your Furnace’s Air Filter
Your air filter helps keep your residence’s air fresh and clean. When it becomes too dirty, it can make your furnace turn on and off too often. Known as short cycling, this can cause your furnace to eat up additional energy and make it wear out faster.
Our advice for replacing your furnace filter:
- Flat filter: Once a month
- Pleated filter: Every three months
You may have to change your filter more regularly if you have allergies or pets.
3. Get in Touch with Ilten's When Your Furnace Is Making Strange Noises
Some furnaces, often older ones, can make more noise than others. But if you’re hearing exceedingly loud or strange noises, you might need to contact a heating and cooling company like Ilten's for furnace repair in Cedar Rapids.
Here are a couple of noises to keep an eye out for, how to fix them and when to call a professional.
Furnace Making Gurgling or Bubbling Noise
This noise occurs more commonly with high-efficiency furnaces. That’s since they exhaust fumes in another way than older furnaces, and the process can create some moisture. If your furnace is having difficulties removing this water, it can make gurgling or bubbling sounds. You’ll need professional} support for this issue, since it can be created by a blocked drain pipe or clogged drain pan.
Furnace Making Banging Noise
It’s not a good thing when your furnace is making a banging sound. It may mean a couple of things.
Haven’t scheduled maintenance recently and your furnace is creating a banging sound when beginning? Its burners might be dirty. Dirty burners can delay ignition, which leads gas to accumulate in your furnace.
All that accumulated gas can make a banging or booming noise when your furnace finally} does ignite. But this is more than just an irritating noise, because the accumulated gas is exploding within your furnace. This can damage your furnace’s heat exchanger and make a dangerous carbon monoxide leak.
If you’ve overlooked regular tune-ups for your furnace and you’re detecting this noise, give Ilten's a call at 319-208-2351. Our heating professionals will get your furnace tuned up and make sure it’s operating correctly.
Your ductwork can also make banging sounds when your furnace starts, since the metal is expanding and contracting.
We suggest first inspecting your furnace’s air filter and getting a new one if it’s clogged. 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 issue, your ductwork could be dirty or undersized, which will call for assistance from a pro HVAC technician.
Furnace Making Humming or Buzzing Noise
If your furnace is buzzing or humming, it’s a flag there’s an electrical problem. This is most frequently seen with a dying blower fan motor, which will produce an annoying buzzing noise when your furnace turns on. It can also mean there’s trouble with the capacitor or transformer. All three of these issues need help from a professional heating and cooling company like Ilten's.
Furnace Making Knocking Noise
If your furnace is making knocking sounds, it’s typically a symptom that an internal piece is breaking down. This could be anything from a bearing to a belt or the gas valve. It might also be an indication that your burners need cleaning.
These troubles are usually uncovered during annual maintenance done by a certified HVAC technician. So, while we’re at your house working on repairs, don’t forget to check with us about requesting your maintenance appointment for the future.
Furnace Making Clicking Noise
A clicking sound can be the result of problems: worn bearings, gas valve issues or ignition problems. All these problems need specialized assistance.
At Ilten's, our professionals are here to help you relax in peaceful, energy-efficient comfort. If your furnace is louder than it typically is or producing odd sounds, contact us at 319-208-2351 to schedule an appointment now.