Has your heater started to make strange and loud noises? Do you wonder whether your heater is supposed to rumbling, hissing or clanging? Heater problems are often recognized by unusual sounds. Taking heed of these warning signs is important—today’s minor repair is tomorrow’s major repair. Staying alert to your heating system is part of ensuring system longevity and energy-efficiency. Heating problems are often increasing your utility bills in some way. For heating repair in Burlington, VT, call Red Rock Mechanical today!
While our descriptions of sounds vary from person to person, there are some commonly recognized noises that indicate certain problems. Let’s take a look at a few:
- Rumbling. If your gas boiler or furnace rumbles, then it’s possible the burner or heating element is no longer working properly. This can also indicate an issue with the pilot light.
- Hissing. If you hear hissing near your heat pump unit, either indoor or outdoor, then you may have a refrigerant leak. This can cause significant damage to your system if left for long. If you hear hissing in the ductwork surrounding your heater’s air handler, then you may have a leak or crack in your ductwork. This can cause inadequate and uneven heating.
- Squealing. If your heater squeals, then it’s probably a loose or worn belt, which connects the blower motor to the fan. It may even sound a bit like a loose radiator fan belt in your car on a cold morning. This is often a quick fix, but it depends on the condition of your blower motor and how bad the damage is.
- Grinding. Grinding is typically caused by the friction of metallic parts. If you have dry bearings in your motor, then that is probably the culprit.
- Rattling. This is often a vibration issue, caused by loosely connected panels and components. Ensuring that your heater is securely fastened at all times is important to the integrity of the machine as well as your safety.
We hope this brief guide helps you to identify strange noises in your heating system. When you’re ready to fix your heater, call Red Rock Mechanical for Burlington, VT heating repair.
