natural-gas-jets-of-furnaceWhen it comes to home comfort, the Comfort Bear would like to ignore strange noises coming from appliances in the home—but ultimately this would be a bad idea.

It’s easy to deny that something may be amiss with our heaters when they start making an odd sound, since fixing it can be a nuisance. But just like the Comfort Bear, you shouldn’t neglect these signs of furnace disrepair.

A rattle may be something as benign as an easy-to-fix loose panel, or it could suggest a cracked heat exchanger which can lead to a hazardous carbon monoxide leak. It’s important to protect your family—if you hear anything outside of the normal cycling of your furnace and air whooshing through your vents, please give us a call. We’ve listed below some of the common sounds you should alert us to.

Screeching

A loud screeching noise is probably a sign that the blower motor in your furnace isn’t working as it should. A malfunctioning or broken blower motor means that the heat produced by your furnace won’t even be able to circulate warm air around your living space successfully.

This may just be a case of a blower motor that needs lubrication. However, it can instead suggest that the fan has stopped working altogether. In order to get a proper diagnosis, it’s vital that a professional HVAC technician visits your home. Once we diagnosed the issue, we can advise you on the next steps.

Clanking

If you’re hearing something that resembles metal-on-metal, then you probably are hearing metal-on-metal. It’s typically the indication of a serious problem with the furnace’s blower wheel. If this is the case, you need to turn off your furnace and contact a pro right away to prevent further damage to the wheel. The longer you let it continue, the more your wallet can suffer.

Banging or Booming

Typically, a bang or boom you hear from your furnace will be caused by a dirty burner. This sounds innocent enough right? However, it can be dangerous. The noise you’re hearing is caused by a delay in ignition due to dirt and build-up. The gas builds up in your system, then when it ignites a small explosion occurs inside the furnace.

This process rattles the furnace and can lead to subsequent problems like cracked heat exchangers and carbon monoxide leaks.

Cleaning the burner yourself is never something we recommend. There is room for error here, and the last thing you need is to be spending unnecessary money. It’s always safer to call in a pro, particularly when you’re dealing with natural gas.

Rattling

As we mentioned above, rattling could be something as simple as a loose panel that needs to be tightened. But you shouldn’t just assume this. A broken heat exchanger can be the cause of the rattle, for instance. It might be due to a lack of airflow from a dirty and clogged up air filter, or an issue with your blower. No matter the problem, it requires professional attention right away, both for heater performance and for your safety.

Climate Control Heating, Cooling and Plumbing is your trusted resource for furnace repair in Independence, MO. Contact us today for “Comfort & Care from the Team with the Bear”!