Banging, Screeching and Rattling: What 6 Ordinary Furnace Noises Indicate

October 13, 2020

When your furnace is running correctly, it should give heat without making too much disruption. While it’s common to catch your furnace making noise as it starts up, other noises are showing your furnace requires immediate professional support.

Here are some of the most common furnace noises and what they could be signaling. If your furnace is making a weird noise, our friendly heating specialists are here to help with the best furnace repair in Chelan and Wenatchee, WA.

1. Furnace Making a Banging Noise

You might have an urgent issue on your hands if you’re noticing your furnace making a banging noise. If your furnace is making a knocking noise, it may mean there could be a couple of problems. These include gas accumulating in your furnace or a ductwork situation.

Banging Sounds Coming from Your Furnace

Your heating system gets filthy over time, so that’s why it’s critical to book seasonal furnace maintenance with Lakeside Heating & Air. One of the tasks our professionals do during this appointment is clean your furnace’s burners. When this component gets dirty, you could hear your furnace making a loud rumbling noise when ignition is delayed. The resulting gas buildup can break your furnace’s heat exchanger, where natural gas transforms into warm air. Any fractures in it can discharge carbon monoxide, which is regularly emitted outside. This hazardous gas can be fatal in large concentrations.

If you’re noticing banging or knocking sounds coming from your furnace, Lakeside Heating & Air urges you to turn it off and reaching us at 509-284-4265. Excessive natural gas in your furnace or a cracked heat exchanger are critical issues that should get immediate attention.

Banging Sounds Coming from Your Ductwork

Your furnace uses ductwork to move warm air across your house. If the ductwork wasn’t installed right or is getting dated, it can be loud when your furnace runs. This might be the problem if your furnace makes a banging noise when it shuts off. Call Lakeside Heating & Air at 509-284-4265 and we’ll pinpoint the problem.

2. Furnace Making a Buzzing Noise

If you notice your furnace making a buzzing noise, don’t hesitate to call us. A buzzing sound typically is telling you there’s an electrical issue, like with its transformer, blower motor or capacitor.

Your furnace uses an internal transformer to work on the correct voltage. If wires or the box is loose, you may notice a low humming noise in the furnace when off. Your furnace also works with a blower motor, which moves hot or cold air across your home, and a capacitor, which triggers the motor. If either of these components are fading, they will buzz when the furnace switches on.

3. Furnace Making a Rattling Noise

If your furnace is making a rattling noise, it can be related to something little, like an unfastened screw, or something major, like a broken piece. In either case, we advise shutting your furnace off and calling our heating specialists at 509-284-4265 for help.

4. Furnace Making a Squealing Noise

If your furnace makes a high-pitched noise, like squealing, when it’s running, it’s attempting to alert you it could use some TLC. If you’ve skipped furnace maintenance recently, belts could be worn down or a bearing may need to be lubricated. We realize that maintenance often slips your mind, but our techs can get your furnace heating quietly again fast.

5. Furnace Making a Whistling Noise

When you’re noticing your furnace making a whistling noise, it’s likely because of an air leak in your ductwork. You could also notice whistling while the furnace is working if a floor vent is loose. If you’ve checked your vents but are still hearing whistling, Lakeside Heating & Air can assist you. It’s critical to get loose ductwork taken care of fast, as it can create comfort issues in your house and inflate your heating costs.

6. Furnace Making a Grinding Noise

It’s not a positive sign if you notice your furnace making a grinding noise. This metal-on-metal sound frequently means there’s an issue with your furnace’s blower. Shut down your furnace off right away and reach our pros at 509-284-4265 for support.

When you’re getting an atypical noise from your furnace, Lakeside Heating & Air is available to support you. Contact us at 509-284-4265 to book your furnace repair appointment today.