Furnace Making Loud Noises? A Portland Tech Explains Why

If your furnace is making loud noises, there is most likely an issue with your furnace that a professional technician will need to fix.

However, we can help you get a better idea of what the issue is by looking at what kind of noise your furnace is making.

Typically, Portland homeowners complain about three kinds of loud noises coming from their furnace, including:

1. Rumbling
2. Humming or Buzzing
3. Whistling

In this blog, we’ll look at the noises in detail to help you diagnose and fix the problem.

Want a furnace repair expert to look over your furnace ASAP? Contact Four Seasons. Noises coming from your furnace usually indicate that a part is broken, creating possibly a bigger problem down the line if not addressed in time. Schedule a same-day appointment with us today!

Is your furnace making a rumbling noise?

If so, there could be an issue with the draft inducer, which is a small fan inside the furnace.

The draft inducer keeps your furnace safe by blowing the gases produced during combustion out of your furnace through a pipe. If those gases lingered in your furnace, they could cause an explosion when your furnace ignites its burners again.

However, if the draft inducer is loose, it could cause a rumbling noise when the furnace turns on.

If you suspect that you have a loose draft inducer, contact an HVAC technician ASAP. Since the draft inducer blows harmful gases out of your furnace, you want the repair handled right away.

It’s normal to hear a mild hum coming from your furnace when it’s on. However, if you hear a loud humming or buzzing noise, you’re probably dealing with an electrical problem.

The most common electrical problems that cause a loud buzzing noise include:

• A failing capacitor: The capacitor stores extra electrical energy to help jump start your furnace. If you open the access panel to your furnace and hear a buzzing noise but the furnace isn’t turning on, there is an issue with your capacitor. Luckily, capacitors are inexpensive and easy to replace.
• A malfunctioning transformer: The transformer is a furnace part that tampers down your home’s voltage output to the output needed for your furnace to run. If the transformer is malfunctioning, you might hear a humming sound when an electrical current passes through the transformer. If you suspect you have a malfunctioning transformer, you’ll want to contact an HVAC professional to repair or replace the transformer.
• An unlubricated blower motor: The blower motor circulates heated air throughout your home with a fan. If the blower motor is not lubricated, the fan will not move. You can check if your blower motor is lubricated by turning off your furnace, waiting for the furnace to cool down then touching the motor to see if it’s oiled. If the blower motor is unlubricated, you can either oil the motor yourself or contact a professional to do so for you.

If you suspect that you may have an electrical problem, contact a professional to diagnose your system and repair any faulty electrical components.

If you hear a whistling noise coming from your furnace, it’s most likely due to a ductwork problem.

When your air ducts are damaged or loose and air is blown through them, a whistling noise can occur. This is because air is escaping your ducts through leaks as your furnace is trying to blow hot air throughout your home.

If you suspect you have leaky ductwork, contact an HVAC technician to check your ductwork and either tighten your duct connections or seal any possible leaks.

It’s never comforting to hear noises from your furnace. We’ll here to help give you peace of mind by making furnace repairs convenient with same-day appointments and easy 2-hour scheduling windows.

Schedule with us today and we’ll get your furnace back to normal in no time.