Do you ever wonder if certain HVAC noises in your Swannanoa, NC, home have any specific meanings? These are five of the most common HVAC noises and what they could mean for your system as well as some tips about how to fix them.
Squeaking
Two issues can cause your HVAC unit to produce a squeaking sound, and the first is its belt. If your unit has a belt, it may be rubbing against a part of the machine or an area that it shouldn’t touch.
The best way to fix this issue is to lubricate the area where there’s friction. In addition, if you have a broken HVAC unit belt, you will need to replace it.
The squeaking sound might also be coming from your HVAC system’s pulley or bearing. If there’s too much friction in the HVAC system’s pulley or if one of the bearings is wearing, this will cause the belt to break and will lead to the squeaking that you hear from the motor. The best way to fix this issue is to lubricate all the pulleys and bearings or to schedule HVAC repair services to improve performance.
Chirping
Chirping is a sound of a fan motor spinning too fast or too slow. There are three causes for this sound.
The first cause is a loose fan blade. To fix the issue, tighten the screw securing the fan blade to the unit, clean any dust off of it and recheck it before putting it in place to ensure it’s secure. If you don’t know how, avoid trying yourself. We can do the job for you through our HVAC maintenance and repair services.
The next cause is a loose stator or rotor. If a fan blade is loose, you can also check the stator to see if it has become loose and is spinning back and forth. Take care of the problem by tightening all the bolts around the motor and rechecking the tolerances of the rotor.
The third reason that could lead to a chirping HVAC unit is a faulty capacitor. Replacing the capacitor and then going back over the motor to ensure it is running properly will correct the issue.
Humming
Your HVAC unit could produce humming sounds due to friction between two of its surfaces rubbing against each other or because of air moving through a pipe at an incorrect angle that causes turbulence. It could also be due to a worn-out bearing or fan blade.
Lubricating the bearing and letting your unit run for several hours can fix the humming. If the bearing or fan blade is still worn out and producing humming sounds, you’ll need to replace it.
A worn-out compressor could also cause your HVAC unit to produce humming sounds. If your HVAC unit’s compressor is wearing out and not functioning properly, reach out to us and our HVAC service technicians will repair or replace it.
Sparking
A fan motor that may have a metal or carbon brush rubbing against the magnet from the rotor can cause this noise. If this isn’t the case, it could be something as simple as an improper blade angle causing friction between the metal blade and the metal casing. Sparking HVAC noises could also be due to a vibration causing friction or even a loose wire rubbing against the casing of your motor.
Clunking
A loose pulley or bearing can bring about clunking sounds. If this is the case, you will need to remove the loose pulley or bearing from your HVAC unit, reseat it and lubricate it to ensure that the device is secure. It could also be an issue with your HVAC system’s belt slipping or being too loose.
Don’t try to fix the problem on your own, especially if you have no idea where the noise is originating from. Fixing the issue on your own without the necessary equipment and gear is risky as it may lead to electrical shock or injury.
Reach out to one of our service technicians who can diagnose your unit, give you a quote for repair costs and let you know if you need to replace your entire HVAC system instead. If your system is making any of these HVAC noises, call to schedule maintenance services at Gentry Service Group.
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