The background hum of your furnace is a soothing reminder of the warmth and coziness in your Grayslake, IL, home. If your furnace is making strange noises, however, that’s a signal that you might need a furnace repair or, in a worst-case scenario, furnace replacement. Here are few of the most common noises and what they indicate.
An Intense Bang
If you hear a loud boom when you turn on your furnace, you probably have a gas buildup stemming from dirty burners. These small explosions can crack your heat exchanger and lead to an expensive furnace repair. In the case of an older furnace, it might be better to opt for a furnace replacement.
Squeals and Screeches
A high-pitched squeal indicates friction between moving parts. Typically, it’s associated with the blower motor and is caused by dry bearings or a frayed or loose blower belt. If caught early, these problems are generally easy fixes. If left unchecked, however, they could lead to premature furnace replacement.
Grinding or Scraping
If you hear the sound of metal against metal, it could indicate a major problem with the cage blower wheel. If you hear this noise, immediately turn off your furnace and call our professional HVAC technicians. The culprit could be a loose or broken blower fan, a broken blower wheel, or the entire blower motor assembly might have dropped and is hitting the casing.
Thumping Noise
You know the sound your washing machine makes when the clothes are unbalanced? If you hear a similar thumping from your furnace, it could announce an unbalanced blower wheel. This is usually not a costly furnace repair, but it is a serious problem that you cannot afford to ignore.
The good news is, annual furnace maintenance can help to prevent these problems. To learn more, check out the heating services we offer at Herchenbach Mechanical Inc. or call us at (847) 260-9335.
