Rat-a-tat-tat! What is that noise coming from the basement? If it is your furnace, you have a serious problem! When your furnace suddenly turns into a machine gun, it is not a Transformer, to be sure. It is an appliance that is in serious need of repair. Do not allow the rapid firing noise to continue, as it can cause even more damage than what is currently wrong with your furnace. Here is what is wrong with a furnace that sounds like a Tommy gun going off in a bank vault and how to fix it.
Fan Is Loose or Broken
Inside your forced air furnace there is a fan. The fan is connected to a motor that kicks on to propel heated air upward. There is also a fan belt that runs from the motor to the fan. When a blade breaks off the fan, it will rattle, smack, and vibrate with so much noise you will not be able to hear yourself think. If the belt is so loose that the motor is spinning harder and faster to make the fan turn, the belt will continue to weaken, which in turn affects the motor and causes the motor to break down and get louder and louder. When one or more of these issues are present, you will have an exceedingly loud furnace rattling constantly as the furnace tries to maintain the temperature desired in your home.
There Is Debris in the Way of the Fan
It happens. Large pieces of debris from inside the vents or other areas of the system fall below to the fan area. If this debris is hard and large enough (e.g., the size of a rat or bigger), it will catch on the fan and cause the fan to constantly hit against or catch on the debris, creating a horrific sound. Thankfully, this is easier to fix than a loose or broken fan, a loose fan belt, or an overworked motor.
Fixing the Issues
Debris is easy. Your HVAC technician just needs to open up the panel and remove the debris. (Hopefully, for everyone's sake, it is not a dead rat, but that does happen.) When that is cleared out, the HVAC technician will check everything else to make sure it is running okay before reinstalling the panel.
If the problem is with the fan, belt, or motor, these items need to be replaced. Once replaced, the furnace will become very quiet again. Then you can be warm without the terrifying noise going off all day and all night.
For more information about furnace repair, contact HVAC maintenance professionals.
Share18 October 2018
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.
