As your furnace starts up and gets ready to warm up your residence, it’s common for it to make some noise. These sounds, such as the burners firing up and the blower running, are all part of the usual start-up steps.

But there are several approaches you can do to make your furnace less noisy this winter.

1. Schedule Regular Furnace Maintenance

Furnace maintenance is highly important, as it keeps your manufacturer warranty ongoing. This helps defend you if something huge stops working in your furnace during your warranty range.

It can also help us uncover little issues that might make your furnace noisy. And potentially help you avoid a breakdown on the coldest day of the year. The Indoor Air Quality Association reports that regular maintenance can reduce your chance of furnace meltdowns by up to 95%.

If minor furnace problems go unnoticed, they may cause trouble down the road. By uncovering these problems sooner, our techs can get your furnace fixed before heating season begins.

And most important, specialized cleaning and lubrication of your furnace’s moving pieces can help make it more efficient. A properly maintained furnace could save up to 30% on your gas costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

2. Regularly Install a New Furnace’s Air Filter

Your air filter helps keep your home’s air fresh and clean. When it becomes too clogged, it can make your furnace turn on and off more than it should. Referred to as short cycling, this can cause your furnace to eat up additional gas and make it wear out faster.

Our suggestions for installing a new furnace filter:

  • Flat filter: Once a month
  • Pleated filter: Every three months

You may have to get a new filter more often if you have allergies or pets.

3. Contact Home Comfort Heating & Air When Your Furnace Is Making Strange Noises

Some furnaces, particularly older ones, might be noisier than others. But if you’re noticing very loud or odd noises, you might need to contact a heating and cooling company like Home Comfort Heating & Air for furnace repair in Elk River.

Here are a few noises to be looking for, how to fix them and when to contact a pro.

Furnace Making Gurgling or Bubbling Noise

This noise occurs more commonly with high-efficiency furnaces. That’s because they exhaust fumes differently than older furnaces, and the process can create some moisture. If your furnace is running into difficulties removing this water, it could make gurgling or bubbling sounds. You’ll require skilled support for this trouble, since it can be created by a blocked drain pipe or clogged drain pan.

Furnace Making Banging Noise

It’s not a positive thing when your furnace is making a banging sound. It could mean several things.

Haven’t scheduled maintenance recently and your furnace is making a banging sound when turning on? Its burners might be dirty. Dirty burners can delay ignition, which causes gas to accumulate inside your furnace.

All that built-up gas can create a banging or booming noise when your furnace ultimately does ignite. But this is more than merely an irritating noise, since the increased gas is igniting within your furnace. This can break your furnace’s heat exchanger and create a life-threatening carbon monoxide leak.

If you’ve forgotten regular service for your furnace and you’re noticing this noise, give Home Comfort Heating & Air a call at 763-276-0617. Our heating specialists will get your furnace tuned up and make sure it’s operating correctly.

Your ductwork can also make banging sounds when your furnace starts, since the metal is expanding and contracting.

We recommend first looking at your furnace’s air filter and installing a new one if it’s clogged. Next, make sure you don’t have too many vents closed in your house, as it can force air pressure out of balance.

If neither of these methods repair the issue, your ductwork might be dirty or undersized, which will call for assistance from a skilled HVAC tech.

Furnace Making Humming or Buzzing Noise

If your furnace is buzzing or humming, it’s a sign there’s electrical troubles. This is most usually seen with a sputtering blower fan motor, which will produce an annoying buzzing noise when your furnace turns on. It might also mean there’s trouble with the capacitor or transformer. All three of these troubles need assistance from a skilled heating and cooling company like Home Comfort Heating & Air.

Furnace Making Knocking Noise

If your furnace is making knocking sounds, it’s typically a symptom that an internal piece is dying. This may be anything from a bearing to a belt or the gas valve. It might also be an indication that your burners need cleaning.

These troubles are typically uncovered during annual maintenance performed by a certified HVAC pro. So, while we’re at your residence doing repairs, don’t forget to inquire about requesting your maintenance appointment for the upcoming year.

Furnace Making Clicking Noise

A clicking sound could be the result of problems: worn bearings, gas valve problems or ignition problems. All these problems need professional help.

At Home Comfort Heating & Air, our experts are here to help you enjoy peaceful, energy-efficient comfort. If your furnace is louder than normal or producing odd sounds, contact us at 763-276-0617 to request an appointment right away.