When your furnace is operating like it should, it should give warmth without making too much disruption. While it’s normal to notice your furnace making noise as it turns on, other sounds are showing your furnace requires immediate professional help.

Here are some of the most frequent furnace noises and what they might be indicating. If your furnace is making a strange noise, our friendly heating specialists are here to assist with the best furnace repair in Greater Richmond, Virginia.

1. Furnace Making a Banging Noise

You may have an urgent situation on your hands if you’re noticing your furnace making a banging noise. If your furnace is making a knocking noise, it might mean there could be several problems. These range from gas building up in your furnace or a ductwork situation.

Banging Sounds Coming from Your Furnace

Your heating system turns dirty as time passes, so that’s why it’s important to set routine furnace maintenance with Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. One of the things our pros perform during this work is clean your furnace’s burners. When this part gets dirty, you might hear your furnace making a loud rumbling noise when ignition takes longer than normal. The following gas buildup might fracture your furnace’s heat exchanger, where natural gas transforms into heat. Any fractures in it can discharge carbon monoxide, which is ordinarily emitted away from your home. This hazardous gas can be deadly in large concentrations.

If you’re noticing banging or knocking sounds coming from your furnace, Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling advises turning it off and reaching us at 804-302-6657. Excessive natural gas in your furnace or a broken heat exchanger are serious troubles that require fast repairs.

Banging Sounds Coming from Your Ductwork

Your furnace uses ductwork to move hot air throughout your home. If the ductwork wasn’t installed properly or is aging, it can be noisy when your furnace is on. This may be the case if your furnace makes a banging noise when it shuts off. Contact Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling at 804-302-6657 and we’ll pinpoint the problem.

2. Furnace Making a Buzzing Noise

If you observe your furnace making a buzzing noise, don’t hesitate to call us. A buzzing sound typically is telling you there’s an electrical situation, like with its transformer, blower motor or capacitor.

Your furnace depends on an internal transformer to work on the proper voltage. If wires or the box isn’t tight enough, you might hear a low humming noise in the furnace when off. Your furnace also uses a blower motor, which distributes warm or cold air across your space, and a capacitor, which triggers the motor. If either of these parts are going out, they will buzz when the furnace switches on.

3. Furnace Making a Rattling Noise

If your furnace is making a rattling noise, it could be the result of something minor, like an unsecure screw, or something serious, like a broken component. In either case, we urge you to shut your furnace off and calling our heating professionals at 804-302-6657 for support.

4. Furnace Making a Squealing Noise

If your furnace makes a high-pitched noise, like squealing, when it’s on, it’s attempting to get your attention it needs some TLC. If you’ve skipped furnace maintenance the last couple of years, belts could be worn out or a bearing could need to be greased. We know that maintenance sometimes slips your mind, but our technicians can get your furnace operating quietly again quickly.

5. Furnace Making a Whistling Noise

When you’re detecting your furnace making a whistling noise, it’s typically due to an air leak in your ductwork. You may also hear whistling while the furnace is operating if a floor vent isn’t tight. If you’ve looked at your vents but are still hearing whistling, Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling can help. It’s important to get loose ductwork fixed fast, since it can create comfort issues in your residence and drive up your utility expenses.

6. Furnace Making a Grinding Noise

It’s not a positive sign if you notice your furnace making a grinding noise. This metal-on-metal sound often means there’s trouble with your furnace’s blower. Shut down your furnace off instantly and reach our pros at 804-302-6657 for help.

When you’re noticing an atypical noise from your furnace, Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is here to help. Contact us at 804-302-6657 to book your furnace repair appointment today.