Your furnace is working great – until it isn’t. And what are the most common indicators of furnace problems? Unusual sounds top the list. There are sounds that your furnace makes as a part of normal operation, but there are also sounds that should sound like warning alarms when you hear them.
If you think you may need furnace repair in Barrington, IL, our team can help. But first, you have to know when to call us for service. Learn the top three sounds that indicate your furnace is in trouble so that you can stay ahead of furnace breakdowns by addressing repairs early.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Any loud and surprising sounds are a sign that something is wrong with your furnace. Your furnace makes small, quiet sounds as a part of regular use. Anything that makes you jump or startle should be considered a sign that something is wrong. Don’t ignore any booming sounds that come from your heater.
Booming most often originates from the burners inside your heating system. It’s easy for gunk to bull up in your system. When the burners light, this gunk can also burn and lead to a boom sound. Since burners emit gas, and so any problems that originate with your burners can lead to a gas leak. Ignoring a booming sound coming from your heater can lead to health problems and fire hazards.
Screeching
This sound may also be described as grinding and can indicate that something is wrong with a mechanical component inside your heater. Your heater has a lot of components that work together to heat air and move it through the system and into your home. When your system is new, it has plenty of lubrication to ensure that parts work together with ease.
But over time, this lubrication wears away and your parts begin to struggle as they work together. Dust can make the problem even worse by creating grime in between gears and other intricate parts. Luckily, it’s usually a pretty easy job to address screeching and grinding as long as problems are identified early. Our team can clean out dust and gunk and then lubricate the parts so that they work together again with ease.
Rattling
If you hear anything rattling or clattering inside your heater, there’s a good chance that you have a loose part knocking around. It may be a small screw, or it may be a fan blade. Rattling is dangerous because a loose part can lead to even more damage. Even worse, rattling can mean that you have a cracked heat exchanger if your heater is a furnace.
If your heat exchanger cracks, natural gas can leak into your home and compromise your air quality. You may face a greater risk of fires as well as illness related to breathing in the gas. Never ignore unusual sounds that are coming from your heater – whether the sounds are big or small.
Contact Althoff Home Services today to schedule an appointment with our professionals. Chicago’s Choice Since 1961. Hand It Off to Althoff!