3 Sounds You Don’t Want Your Furnace to Make in Midlothian, VA

Even if you aren’t a trained HVAC expert, your ears can still reliably tell you when something is wrong with your heating system. Specifically, a furnace should not produce more than a slight hum over the course of ordinary operations, and other noises generally mean bad news. Here are three sounds that no homeowner in Midlothian, VA, should want their furnace to make.

1. Clicking

Hearing this noise for a short time as your furnace is just starting up is perfectly normal, but the sound should not persist throughout the heating cycle. If it does, it’s a safe bet that there’s some kind of issue with your furnace’s ignition system. A few possible explanations for this problem are dirty furnace burners, a malfunctioning ignition board, bad valves, a busted flame sensor and any of a number of different pilot light problems.

Of course, you should leave it to professional heating technicians to find out exactly what’s wrong with your unit. If something is dirty or clogged, they can clean it during maintenance. If a part is completely broken, they will perform more extensive repairs.

2. Grinding or Scraping

If you hear this noise coming from your furnace, we recommend shutting the unit down as soon as you can and scheduling an appointment for repairs. These noises typically mean that some part — perhaps a bearing — is making harsh, damaging and unnecessary contact with some other part. In particular, scraping sounds are a common sign that your furnace’s blower wheel has broken.

3. Rattling

Rattling noises can have many different explanations. Some of these are relatively simple and harmless, like a loose access panel door. Other potential causes are more serious, like a loose internal component or a cracked heat exchanger.

Your ears can help alert you to many different furnace problems in Midlothian, VA. If you notice one, call us at Classic Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning and schedule heating repair services.

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