You’re ready to settle in on a cold winter’s night in your Martinsburg, West Virginia, home. You turn your furnace on, and suddenly you are hearing strange noises. There are several reasons your heater makes noises. Some of them are common and shouldn’t be a concern. However, some strange noises from your heater should be investigated by a professional right away to avoid further damage to your system.
Grinding Noises
If you hear a grinding noise like metal rubbing against metal, it may indicate a serious problem. Grinding noises usually occur when one part of the furnace is making contact with another metal part, such as a broken piece of the blower wheel hitting the heater’s metal housing. To prevent further damage to your system, turn off the heater and have us inspect and repair it as soon as possible. Have your heater maintained regularly to prevent faulty issues such as this from occurring.
Humming Noises
When your system starts to make humming noises, this could indicate that there is something making the heater work too hard. If it is not attended to promptly, the whole system may shut down, leaving you without heat when you need it.
What can cause a humming noise? It could be a problem with the electrical system which could be dangerous if a fire were to occur due to faulty wiring. Or, the motors and fans may be stressed and may be ready to shut down. In any case, humming noises should be looked at right away.
Hissing Noises
Hissing sounds should never be ignored. Hissing could mean that there is a leak in the system somewhere that is allowing either air or gas to escape. There could be a leak in a vacuum hose or in the ductwork somewhere. Another cause of hissing could be a valve that has become stuck, letting gas escape. If you hear hissing, turn off your furnace immediately and call us.
If your heater is making any kind of strange noises, be sure to call Griffith Energy Services, Inc. right away at 888-474-3391.
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