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

October 13, 2020

When your furnace is operating correctly, it should give warm air without generating too much noise. While it’s expected to notice your furnace making noise as it starts up, other disruptions are indicating your furnace requires immediate professional assistance.

Here are some of the most reported furnace noises and what they can mean. If your furnace is making a strange noise, our friendly heating pros are here to help with the best furnace repair in Newark, OH.

1. Furnace Making a Banging Noise

You might have an urgent situation on your hands if you’re hearing your furnace making a banging noise. If your furnace is making a knocking noise, it can indicate there could be several problems. These include gas increasing in your furnace or a ductwork issue.

Banging Sounds Coming from Your Furnace

Your heating system turns filthy over the years, so that’s why it’s important to book seasonal furnace maintenance with Luikart Heating & Cooling. One of the jobs our techs do during this appointment is clean your furnace’s burners. When this part gets grimy, you could hear your furnace making a loud rumbling noise when ignition is delayed. The resulting gas buildup may break your furnace’s heat exchanger, where natural gas turns into heat. Any fractures in it can discharge carbon monoxide, which is normally released outside. This hazardous gas can be deadly in large concentrations.

If you’re hearing banging or knocking sounds coming from your furnace, Luikart Heating & Cooling advises turning it off and reaching us at 740-200-5591. Excessive natural gas in your furnace or a broken heat exchanger are critical issues that should get prompt service.

Banging Sounds Coming from Your Ductwork

Your furnace relies on ductwork to provide hot air around your home. If the ductwork wasn’t installed right or is getting old, it can make a lot of noise when your furnace runs. This may be the issue if your furnace makes a banging noise when it shuts off. Call Luikart Heating & Cooling at 740-200-5591 and we’ll pinpoint the problem.

2. Furnace Making a Buzzing Noise

If you hear your furnace making a buzzing noise, don’t wait to call us. A buzzing sound typically indicates an electrical situation, 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 sends hot or cooled air across your home, and a capacitor, which triggers the motor. If either of these components are going out, they will buzz when the furnace starts.

3. Furnace Making a Rattling Noise

If your furnace is making a rattling noise, it may be the result of something small, like an unsecure screw, or something critical, like a broken piece. In either case, we advise shutting your furnace off and contacting our heating pros at 740-200-5591 for assistance.

4. Furnace Making a Squealing Noise

If your furnace makes a high-pitched noise, like squealing, when it’s going, it’s trying to alert you it could use some TLC. If you’ve neglected furnace maintenance the past few years, belts could be worn out or a bearing may need to be lubed. We know that maintenance sometimes slips your mind, but our pros can get your furnace operating quietly again fast.

5. Furnace Making a Whistling Noise

When you’re noticing your furnace making a whistling noise, it’s frequently the result of an air leak in your ductwork. You may also hear whistling while the furnace is running if a floor vent isn’t tight. If you’ve checked your vents but are still noticing noise, Luikart Heating & Cooling can assist you. It’s important to get loose ductwork taken care of fast, since it can make comfort problems in your home and inflate your energy costs.

6. Furnace Making a Grinding Noise

It’s not a good sign if you detect your furnace making a grinding noise. This metal-on-metal racket typically means there’s an issue with your furnace’s blower. Switch off your furnace off right away and contact us at 740-200-5591 for support.

When you’re hearing an atypical noise from your furnace, Luikart Heating & Cooling is available to provide assistance. Contact us at 740-200-5591 to request your furnace repair appointment today.