Your heating system has a series of standard sounds it makes as it operates, and you’ll be familiar with them if you’ve used your current heater through at least one winter season. Although modern heating systems are designed to run as quietly as possible, they cannot run in absolute silence, and the noises of the heater turning on and off, the movement of air through ducts, the firing of burners, etc., are standard parts of winter in your home.
Changes to these sounds are often warnings that you need to call professionals for heater repair in Comox, BC. Anything that sounds “off,” or a heater that is making more noise than usual, is a good reason to have experts examine the system—it’s better to have any problems addressed early before they can develop into bigger problems, or even a system breakdown.
We’ve provided a list of what some of these noises may mean for the heater:
Booming
This is a noise you might hear from a gas furnace or boiler, and it usually indicates a delay in igniting the burners. Unburned combustion gas is being allowed to build up, and when it ignites all at once it creates this startling boom sound. There are several possible causes for the delayed ignition, such as trouble with the electronic ignition system or dirt on the burners, but you’ll want it investigated no matter what.
Clicking
This is a common malfunction sound from most types of heating systems. You can expect some clicking from a heater when it turns on, but regular clicking or loud clicking is often a warning of an electrical fault. (And yes, gas boilers and furnaces have crucial electrical components.) There are other possible sources, such as hard-starting for a heat pump, stuck gas valves, even a crack in a furnace or boiler heat exchanger. We recommend shutting off the heating system and calling for assistance.
Grinding and Shrieking
This noise can happen in almost all types of heaters: it’s the noise of a motor (the blower motor, compressor motor, fan motor) that’s either wearing down its bearings or is burning out. Sometimes the motor can be rescued with quick professional repairs; otherwise, the motor must be replaced.
Whistling
This is a sound you may hear from a forced-air system such as a heat pump or furnace. It usually means that the air filter has become clogged and the blower motor is struggling to draw air through and around the obstructed filter. A clogged filter will have many negative effects on heater performance, so change the current filter for a clean one and see if this stops the whistling noise.
Hissing
For a gas-powered system, this can indicate gas leaks—shut the heater down right away and call professionals to find out what’s wrong. For a heat pump, the hissing sound is likely refrigerant escaping from a leak, which will put the compressor in jeopardy. You also need this corrected as soon as you can.
We’re here to help fix your heating system, and we have after-hours service available in emergencies.
Temprite Climate Solutions serves Courtenay, BC and the surrounding areas. For a job done right, call Temprite!