Heating systems all over the country are on full blast right now as we face the brunt of some serious winter storms. That’s not changing for our neck of the woods, which is why your furnace needs all the help it can get.
If your furnace is in good shape and working perfectly, then congratulations! We’d like to take this moment to say that you’ve been an excellent furnace owner and you’ll be enjoying those rewards for the foreseeable future. But if your furnace is barely hanging on and making some pretty strange noises, then we’re here for you.
There are many different noises that signal furnace repair in Worcester County, MA but it would require multiple blog posts to go into each of them in detail. So we’re going to start with three of the most common noises that a malfunctioning furnace might make–and what they mean for you.
A Rattling Furnace
Furnaces are machines that are tightly connected by many components. They’re designed to run with optimal performance while also being as quiet as possible. This is where a rattling noise can be a problem.
Rattling is usually caused by a loose component, usually a screw or a washer, that has come unsecured and is moving around. This normally starts off as a pretty benign issue, but it can become a lot worse over time.
Loose components can cause other components to come loose. Eventually, you might have a screw become completely free and start bumping or rubbing up against another component, causing friction, tension, heat, and other problems that might negatively impact your furnace. Think of a loose component like a problem that can multiply. Even just one rattling component can cause many issues in your system over a short period.
The Infamous Booming Noise
Gas furnaces rely on a fuel injection system and burners to be able to create heat. This is a fundamental part of the unit and without it, your furnace is just a large, glorified fan.
Eventually, the fuel injectors can get coated in a thick layer of soot and grime, causing them to get delayed while the ignition tries to burn the gas. This delay results in a “booming” noise as all of the gas ignites at once and a miniature explosion takes place inside of the furnace.
Don’t worry, this explosion is tiny in comparison to the ones you might see on TV, and after that, the system will work fine to keep your home warm. But this is only for the short term.
In the long term, your furnace could become cracked, broken, and even shut down completely due to the constant pressure and friction that comes from a constantly booming system. Those fuel injectors need to be cleaned regularly to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Clicking, Buzzing, and Zapping
Clicking, buzzing, and zapping noises all usually spell one thing–an electrical problem. Gas furnaces still have electrical components such as capacitors and wires that connect to your thermostat, and these need to be repaired or maintained every once in a while. Make sure your electrical components are in good shape, and if you hear these noises, call our team for repairs.