Noises of any kind that come from your furnace are usually not-great signs, but some tend to be worse than others. Depending on what you hear, you could have a serious problem on your hands – or it could be something you don’t need to worry about at all! Unfortunately, it’s tough to tell sometimes.
To help make that distinction a little bit easier, we’ve compiled a few reasons your furnace might be making certain sounds, and whether you should do something about it – or whether you can sleep easy. No matter what your furnace questions are, Weeks Service Co is here to help!
Blower Belt Issues
Some furnaces run with a blower motor, and that in turn operates by having a blower belt keep the pieces moving. Even though the belt is designed to work constantly without issue, it can eventually become loose, which will produce some strange noises.
Most often, it’ll sound like rattling. Although it’s a simple problem to diagnose, you’ll need a professional to come help you out. They’ll lubricate it if that’s all that it needs, but otherwise it might call for a whole-unit replacement depending on what caused the belt malfunction.
Loose Parts/Panels/Components
Furnaces are made up of tons of small, intricately arranged parts that all work together in conjunction to operate efficiently. Over time, these parts can become detached or loose as the furnace whirs to life over and over again.
When these parts are loose, you’ll probably notice a rattling noise coming from the furnace. It’ll likely be coming from one specific part of the furnace, and unless you know how to take your unit apart and re-assemble it, you’ll probably need an expert’s touch to help correct the issue.
Normal Contracting/Expanding
Some sounds are totally harmless. For instance, although you may hear some cracking or what sounds like a crash coming from above, there’s a good chance it isn’t anything to worry about. As heat travels through your metal ducts, the gases will expand and contract them – and the ducts will make sounds as they adjust.
So, for the most part, you don’t need to worry if you hear these sounds. But if they happen repeatedly, it might be helpful to have someone come take a look to make sure nothing’s wrong. It very well may be harmless, but the peace of mind you’ll get is extremely reassuring.
Dirty Interior
If your unit hasn’t been cleaned in a while, there’s probably a significant amount of dust or other material laying around. This affects how the hot gas in your furnace combusts and travels through the ducts, which will lead to some suspicious sounds.
Like the previous point, this usually isn’t anything you need to worry about too much. Just give someone a call if it gets to be too consistent! Of course, Weeks Service Company is here to answer any furnace-related questions or concerns you have. We can inspect your unit to ease your worries or help diagnose anything that might be troubling it. Just give us a call at 281-738-1362 and we’ll be there before you know it!