Written on: January 4, 2021
Most of the time, you probably pay no attention to your furnace, except to notice the little sound it makes as it kicks on to keep your south and central Oklahoma home warm and comfortable.
But you may be startled if there are other noises coming from your furnace and have a whole lot of questions.
Is something wrong with my furnace?
Is my furnace breaking down?
Am I going to have a big, expensive repair bill?
There are four common sounds your furnace may make. We’ll walk through them so you’ll know what to do if you hear them.
Hearing a bang or a boom from your furnace can be scary. But it may not be anything to fear.
If you hear the sounds consistently, not only when the furnace kicks on, it may be because the air ducts or the metal siding of the furnace are expanding and contracting.
But if you are only hearing a boom or bang when your furnace cycles on, you may have a problem. The noise might be caused by a dirty furnace burner, which can damage the heat exchanger if not corrected. This is potentially dangerous because the damaged heat exchanger could cause a carbon monoxide leak into your home. DO NOT try to clean the burner yourself. This is a job for professionals.
This noise may be caused by a worn-down blower fan belt or a lack of lubrication of your furnace’s parts. While these scenarios may not sound serious, ignoring the noise may lead to the blower fan failing and your furnace shutting down. Contact your service technician.
Anyone one else cringe when they hear metal-on-metal scraping? Not only is it awful, but it is also an indicator that something is wrong with your furnace. Most often, that scraping noise is happening because the blower fan has come loose from its mount and is scraping the bearings. When this happens, the blower fan slows down. The furnace may overheat and shut down too soon, leaving your home colder than you want.
This is the sign of a potentially serious and dangerous problem and must be addressed. The noises may be from a broken heat exchanger damaged by lack of airflow. The reduced airflow may be caused by blower fan problems or a dirty filter. The excess heat generated can crack or break the heat exchanger. A damaged heat exchange can create a carbon monoxide leak. Contact your service technician immediately to request a service call.
Have questions about your propane appliances? Contact our equipment experts. We’ll be glad to help!
