Properly functioning central air conditioners are relatively quiet. What little noise they do make can often be soothing to our ears, because it means that they are working to keep our homes nice and cool. Some air conditioner noises can be resolved just by shutting off the power to your system and inspecting it for debris. However, there are certain air conditioner problems that can cause your system to make some loud, disruptive sounds that are cause for serious concern.
Today we’re here to educate you on some of the most common reasons why your air conditioner might be making noise!
7 Possible Reasons Why Your Air Conditioner Is Making Noise
- Loose parts. “Rattle, rattle, boom boom.” These are often the sounds you hear when one or more of your air conditioner’s parts have become loose. This can often happen in areas with a lot of movement, such as your system’s motors. If you hear any rattling and you feel comfortable shutting off your electric and rooting around for any loose screws or parts, feel free! However, we suggest calling your trusted HVAC company for a simple system tune-up to easily address these concerns for you and ensure your system is running efficiently.
- Motor problems. “Squeaaal, screeeeech.” These sounds often come from your compressor or fan motors when their bearings are unlubricated or a belt has slipped.
- Electrical issues. “Buzzzzz.” A buzzing noise is usually a sign that your air conditioner is experiencing some kind of electrical issue. These sounds can be something rather simple such as loose connections of the compressor or something more serious such as an incorrect amperage of power being routed through your system. Our advice, consult an expert when potentially dealing with electrical complications.
- Bad relays or contactors. “Click, click, click.” Over time, your system’s relays or contactors can go bad, which often results in a clicking noise coming from your system.
- Caught debris. “Thwap, thwap BANG.” These sounds are most often heard from your condensing unit. That’s because it’s located outside where twigs and debris can sometimes get caught in the unit’s fan. A simple trip to the outdoor unit should provide some insight into anything that may be trapped or lodged. We even advise shutting off the power to your condensing unit seasonally and not only trimming grass, trees or bushes around your unit, but also hosing it down to remove any smaller debris that may be out of sight.
- Refrigerant leak. “Hissss.” No, that’s probably not a snake! When air conditioners develop a refrigerant leak, especially a serious one, they can start to produce a hissing noise.
- Duct leaks. “Whistleeee.” When your ductwork has cracks and openings, the air that’s blowing through them can escape and produce a whistling noise on its way out. This can significantly compromise the efficiency and effectiveness of your system if the leaks are located in unconditioned spaces like attics or crawlspaces, so it is definitely something to look into if you consistently hear whistling from your system, coupled with higher than normal energy bills.
Contact Hydes whenever your air conditioner is making noise
Whenever your air conditioner starts to make strange noises, contact Hydes as soon as possible. While some of the problems above might be minor at first, they can turn into much bigger issues the longer you ignore them.
In addition, many of the problems listed above can be avoided by scheduling an annual air conditioner tune up with Hydes. During your tune-up, we’ll look for these issues and more in order to help keep your system running quietly all summer long.
