Does your air conditioning make a high-pitched whistling noise whenever it turns on? Such a noise can be quite irritating, leading to headaches and keeping you from getting restful sleep. The good news is that whistling is rarely a sign of a serious issue with your AC unit. Rather, there are three common causes, all of which are easy to address on your own.
A Clogged Air Filter
Your air conditioner has to blow air through the air filter before it enters your ducts. If the filter is clogged, the air may be squeezing through a small portion of the filter or even seeping out around it. Forcing air through any narrow space can lead to a whistling noise. If your filter has not been changed in a month or more, head to the hardware store and purchase a new one. Chances are, the whistling noise will go away once you put it in place. Keep a stack of new filters next to your furnace so if you ever hear the whistling again, you can just replace the filter ASAP. Better yet, get into the habit of replacing your filter every 1 - 3 months before any whistling occurs.
Closed Vents
Sometimes homeowners close one or two vents when they don't want to cool a specific room. This can be a good way to save energy, but only if your vents close completely. If you leave them partially open, or they leave a little gap when you close them as far as you can, you may end up hearing a whistling noise as air seeps in through that gap.
Your best option in this case is to just open the whistling vents. If you really want the ability to close off airflow to that room, you can replace the vent or have your HVAC technician do the same.
Blocked Vents
Your problem may also be that some of your vents are blocked by furniture or other items. The air may be forced to blow through a smaller portion of the blocked vent, leading to whistling. One blocked vent may also increase the speed of the air that's flowing through your other vents; this can cause whistling, too. Walk through your house and pull everything away from the vents, making sure that there's a clear space in front of each one.
If your system continues to whistle after you follow these tips, contact an HVAC specialist like Pallett Heating and Cooling. In most cases, the actions above will solve your issue so you can get some rest and enjoy a quiet, calm home once again.
Share6 June 2017
After my sister moved into my house with me, she started complaining about the temperature. I had never really thought about it before, or maybe I was just used to it, but my house was pretty cold. She told me that she didn't think the furnace was working properly, so I started checking things out on my own. Sure enough, my furnace seemed to be having some serious problems. I started looking for a replacement, and I was able to find a great furnace for much less than what I initially thought I would need to spend. I wanted to make this blog for anyone out there who might need to shop for a new HVAC system. Check out these great articles for information you might need.
