What Repairs Might Your Noisy Furnace Need?

Your furnace is meant to keep your home comfortable — not transform it into a noisy space. If you're tired of hearing banging, scraping, or clacking every time the furnace turns on, then it's time to do something about it. Call a furnace repair team. Chances are, they'll need to make one or more of the following repairs to quiet down your furnace.

Replace the Fan Belt

The fan that blows warm air out of your furnace has a substantially sized motor that is driven by a belt. That belt can become frayed or torn over time. When this happens, furnaces can start squeaking and whining. The screeching and squealing often starts off slow and quiet, but it speeds up and becomes louder as the tears in the belt become larger. A furnace repair contractor can easily remove the damaged fan belt and put a new one in place. After this work is done, your furnace should not only operate more quietly but should also work more efficiently.

Replace Worn Ball Bearings

There are several moving parts within the furnace's motor. To help them glide over one another, furnace manufacturers put ball bearings in the furnace motor. These ball bearings can develop flat spots and worn areas, and when that happens, they tend to grate and grind on the parts they are embedded in. This can cause grinding or tumbling noises. A furnace contractor can pop out an old ball bearing and put a new one into place without much hassle. It's best to do this sooner, rather than later, since worn ball bearings can lead to wear elsewhere in the furnace.

Replace the Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger is a major component of the furnace. It surrounds the flame and transfers heat to the air. If it cracks, then some of the gases produced by the flame may seep into the air used to heat your home. This can lead to CO poisoning, so it's a problem you need to take seriously. A cracked heat exchanger will cause your furnace to make booming or popping noises when it turns on. Once you know what this sounds like, the noise is unmistakable. Luckily, the sound and risk of CO leaks will go away when the heat exchanger is replaced.

When a furnace becomes noisy, that usually means it needs work. Luckily, the repairs above can address the common causes of noisy furnaces.

Reach out to an HVAC contractor to learn more about heater repairs.


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