We all love our heating and cooling systems, most of us wouldn’t survive the cold winter and hot summers without one! After all, throughout the United Sates, heating and cooling accounts for about 48% of all the energy used in the typical U.S. home. However, HVAC systems require a lot of maintenance that, when ignored, can cause a lot of different problems in your home. So to prevent expensive AC unit repair, here are some common sounds to keep an ear out for and what they mean.
Clanking
Typically, a clanking noise means that you have a part that is either missing or is loose within the machine. Usually, this means that the compressor itself is coming loose, which requires complete AC unit repairs. Or, if that is not the case, the indoor and outdoor fans and its blade areas are out of balance which causes them to hit other parts. While this isn’t always a bad thing, it will only get worse if it goes ignored.
Squealing or squeaking
Does your HVAC unit sound like a baby piglet? This means you have a problem with your fan and/or blower either indoor or outside. Sometimes, this noise is common if this is the first time you’re starting up the machine, but if the sound continues, make sure to call a repairman to come check things out.
Buzzing
Buzzing is probably the most common of the noises and can, unfortunately, mean many different things. This includes:
- The condenser coil needs to be cleaned
- Fan blades are loose and need to be tightened
- The air filter needs to be changed and cleaned — this should happen monthly.
- The blower is becoming out of balance
- The motor needs to be re-oiled or changed.
- The copper lines from the outdoor unit are against something else, causing friction.
Because there can be a lot of different causes for the buzzing noises, make sure to contact a professional right away to get your unit checked out!
So whenever you are hearing noises, make sure to pay attention because your unit is trying to talk to you!