A furnace making strange noises could be a sign of a serious problem that requires repair. If you are hearing odd noises from your heating system, you can try a few furnace troubleshooting techniques on your own, but why risk it when reliable heating system technicians are ready to help?

Below, you can learn more about what unusual furnace sounds may mean and what you can do about them.

Get Fast Help With a Failing Motor

When the motor inside the furnace is beginning to fail or has loose parts, you may hear noises like screeching or rattling. These sounds may be louder when the furnace initially turns on or finally shuts down. Chirping noises can indicate problems with a loose motor mount or with bearings in the motor starting to fail. 

All these issues require the help of our professional repair technicians to inspect the motor and find the potential problem.

Let Repair Technicians Clean Dirty Burners

If your furnace is running with burners that need cleaning, you may hear booming noises. Some homeowners might want to tackle cleaning the burners themselves, but it’s tricky. You may want to leave dirty burners to expert repair technicians. 

Booming noises may also occur if the ignitor is not lighting the burners quickly enough, allowing a buildup of gas inside the system. A technician should fix this problem before it worsens and causes a real safety issue.

Fix Noises From Worn Belts Immediately

A furnace making strange noises could relate to belts that are close to wearing out inside the heating unit. You might hear a vibrating, banging, clunking, or whining noise when a belt has cracks in it or is significantly worn.

It’s always better to replace belts before they completely wear out and break. Replacing worn belts keeps your furnace running during cold weather. A broken belt could leave your furnace out of commission until our team can arrive and replace it.

Also, if the belt snaps suddenly, fragments could damage other components in the interior of the furnace. Repairs would be more expensive after that.

Metal Parts Expanding and Contracting Are Not Safety Concerns

When you hear noises like crackling or popping, it could indicate normal expansion and contraction of the metal parts of the system. Ductwork may make popping noises as it expands with exposure to heat and contracts when the heat stops operating. Other metal parts may crackle or clang as they cool down.

You shouldn’t ignore these sounds, though. If they intensify in volume or become more frequent, they could indicate a problem that needs a repair professional’s keen eye.

Call HomeX Plumbing Heating & Air for All Your Furnace Safety Concerns

For any furnace making strange noises, you should call for emergency furnace repair. If there is a loud furnace operation, the heating system might be close to breaking down. At a minimum, these noises could indicate a problem with your furnace efficiency, so why wait?

For an appointment or to discuss the causes of your noisy furnace, call HomeX Plumbing Heating & Air today at (714) 426-9207!