Your heating system can’t exactly call out to you, “Help! I don’t feel so well!” But it does have ways of letting you know when something is wrong, and some of those ways can be at least as loud as a complaining voice. You just need to know what to listen for! What types of sounds will a troubled heating system make? What could be causing those noises? We’ve got the information you need.
Groan
A forced-air heating system, like a furnace, has a motor that powers the fan that keeps the air moving. Inside that motor there are bearings, which keep everything moving smoothly. Over time, those bearings can get worn, and they’ll start to grind and groan. Get repairs right away. It’s much less costly to replace the bearings promptly than to wait until the whole motor is badly damaged.
Burble
Another popular type of heating system is radiant heat, with a boiler that circulates hot water through baseboard registers, radiators, or in-floor piping. Because this does involve having a tank of water, it can make some surprising noises, like a giant boiling kettle. This is usually caused by water percolating through a layer of sediment that has settled out of the water over time and can be resolved by flushing the tank.
Rattle
As you can probably guess, this is most likely to be a loose component. This tends to be a quick and easy fix as long as it’s dealt with soon enough. However, a loose component can easily become a component that strikes or smashes against other components and ends up taking much more time—and costing much more money—to repair. So make an appointment right away.
Buzz
While this may also be a loose component, just vibrating slightly, there’s a chance that buzzing could be coming from something electrical in the system. This is a safety hazard, so don’t take any risks. Get central heating repair in Joliet, IL.
Click
This could be another sign of an electrical problem. It can also be caused by a crack in a gas furnace’s heat exchanger. This component is critical to protecting you and your family from carbon monoxide poisoning. Again, your safety is the most important consideration, so don’t delay in getting professional repairs.
Short Cycling
This isn’t exactly an alarming noise, it’s just a change in the pattern of sounds coming from your heating system. The startup should only occur a handful of times each hour. If it’s happening over and over, only a few minutes apart, this is called short cycling. It’s rough on the whole system and wasteful of energy, but a technician can pinpoint the source of the problem and get it sorted out.
Whatever sound you notice, if it is not the routine pattern of a humming furnace or boiler and gently whooshing fan, pay close attention and trust your instincts. If it sounds wrong, chances are, your heating system needs to be repaired.
Call J&A today, Sleep-tight tonight!