As your furnace starts up and gets ready to heat your house, it’s typical for it to create some noise. These sounds, such as the burners lighting and the blower whirring, are all part of the usual start-up process.

But there are a few steps you can do to make your furnace quieter this winter.

1. Request Regular Furnace Maintenance

Furnace maintenance is highly important, since it keeps your manufacturer warranty ongoing. This helps shield you if something big stops working in your furnace during your warranty period.

It can also help our professionals find little issues that might make your furnace noisy. And possibly help you prevent a meltdown on the most frigid day of the year. The Indoor Air Quality Association reports that routine maintenance can lower your chance of furnace meltdowns by up to 95%.

If small furnace issues go ignored, they may lead to trouble in the future. By finding these problems sooner, our pros can get your furnace taken care of before heating season begins.

And most essential, pro cleaning and lubrication of your furnace’s moving components can help make it more efficient. A correctly maintained furnace could save up to 30% on your gas bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

2. Frequently Install a New Furnace’s Air Filter

Your air filter helps keep your home’s air fresh and clean. When it gets too filthy, it can make your furnace turn on and off too often. Called short cycling, this can cause your furnace to use additional energy and make it break down faster.

Our recommendations for changing your furnace filter:

  • Flat filter: Once a month
  • Pleated filter: Every three months

You might have to replace your filter more frequently if you have allergies or pets.

3. Call Rescue Heating & Air When Your Furnace Is Creating Weird Noises

Some furnaces, especially older ones, might be louder than others. But if you’re detecting exceedingly loud or strange noises, it may be time to get in touch with a heating and cooling company like Rescue Heating & Air for furnace repair in Alice.

Here are a few noises to be looking for, how to fix them and when to contact a specialist.

Furnace Making Gurgling or Bubbling Noise

This noise happens more frequently with high-efficiency furnaces. That’s since they discharge fumes dissimilarly than older furnaces, and the process can make some moisture. If your furnace is experiencing difficulties draining this water, it can make gurgling or bubbling sounds. You’ll require pro support for this problem, since it can be created by a blocked drain pipe or clogged drain pan.

Furnace Making Banging Noise

It’s not a good thing when your furnace is making a banging sound. It might mean a couple of things.

Haven’t had maintenance done recently and your furnace is producing a banging sound when turning on? Its burners may be dirty. Dirty burners can delay ignition, which results in gas accumulating within your furnace.

All that built-up gas can make a banging or booming noise when your furnace ultimately does ignite. But this is more than only an irritating noise, because the increased gas is igniting within your furnace. This can break your furnace’s heat exchanger and cause a deadly carbon monoxide leak.

If you’ve ignored regular maintenance for your furnace and you’re detecting this noise, give Rescue Heating & Air a shout at 361-265-4371. Our heating professionals will get your furnace tuned up and double-check it’s running correctly.

Your ductwork can also make banging sounds when your furnace turns on, as the metal is expanding and contracting.

We recommend first inspecting your furnace’s air filter and installing a new one if it’s filthy. Next, ensure you don’t have too many vents sealed in your residence, as it can force air pressure out of balance.

If neither of these steps repair the issue, your ductwork could be dirty or undersized, which will require assistance from a pro HVAC specialist.

Furnace Making Humming or Buzzing Noise

If your furnace is buzzing or humming, it’s a sign there’s an electrical problem. This is most usually seen with a dying blower fan motor, which will create a loud buzzing noise when your furnace switches on. It could also mean there’s a problem with the capacitor or transformer. All three of these issues need help from an experienced heating and cooling company like Rescue Heating & Air.

Furnace Making Knocking Noise

If your furnace is making knocking sounds, it’s usually a symptom that an internal piece is breaking down. This might be anything from a bearing to a belt or the gas valve. It could also be a symptom that your burners need cleaning.

These problems are typically uncovered during annual maintenance done by a certified HVAC pro. So, while we’re at your residence working on repairs, don’t forget to ask us about requesting your maintenance appointment for next year.

Furnace Making Clicking Noise

A clicking sound might be the result of problems: worn bearings, gas valve problems or ignition issues. All these troubles need professional assistance.

At Rescue Heating & Air, our specialists are here to help you unwind in peaceful, energy-efficient comfort. If your furnace is louder than normal or producing odd sounds, contact us at 361-265-4371 to request an appointment now.