As your furnace turns on and gets ready to add warmth to your house, it’s common for it to make some noise. These sounds, like the burners lighting and the blower whirring, are all part of the normal start-up steps.

But there are a few steps you can do to make your furnace quieter this winter.

1. Schedule Annual Furnace Maintenance

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

It can also help our pros spot small issues that could make your furnace annoying. And possibly help you sidestep a meltdown on the most frigid day of the year. The Indoor Air Quality Association reports that routine maintenance can decrease your likelihood of furnace meltdowns by up to 95%.

If little furnace issues go undetected, they may result in trouble down the road. By discovering these problems sooner, our professionals can get your furnace taken care of before heating season is underway.

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

2. Frequently Change Your Furnace’s Air Filter

Your air filter helps keep your residence’s air fresh and clean. When it gets too dirty, it can make your furnace turn on and off more than it should. Known as short cycling, this can cause your furnace to use additional gas and make it stop working faster.

Our advice for changing your furnace filter:

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

You could have to replace your filter more regularly if you have allergies or pets.

3. Call Paniccia Heating & Cooling When Your Furnace Is Producing Weird Noises

Some furnaces, often older ones, might be noisier than others. But if you’re hearing extremely loud or strange noises, you might need to call a heating and cooling company like Paniccia Heating & Cooling for furnace repair in Michigan City.

Here are a few noises to be looking for, how to fix them and when to get in touch with a specialist.

Furnace Making Gurgling or Bubbling Noise

This noise occurs more commonly with high-efficiency furnaces. That’s due to the fact they emit fumes in another way 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 want experienced support for this trouble, since it might be created by a blocked drain pipe or clogged drain pan.

Furnace Making Banging Noise

It’s not a great thing when your furnace is making a banging sound. It may mean a few things.

Haven’t scheduled maintenance recently and your furnace is creating a banging sound when turning on? Its burners might be dirty. Dirty burners can hold up ignition, which leads gas to accumulate in 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 just an irritating noise, because the built-up gas is exploding within your furnace. This can break your furnace’s heat exchanger and cause a life-threatening carbon monoxide leak.

If you’ve neglected regular service for your furnace and you’re noticing this noise, give Paniccia Heating & Cooling a call at 219-872-2198. Our heating specialists will get your furnace tuned up and double-check it’s operating correctly.

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

We suggest first looking at your furnace’s air filter and getting a new one if it’s dirty. Next, make sure you don’t have too many vents sealed in your home, as it can make air pressure uneven.

If neither of these steps repair the sound, your ductwork might be dirty or undersized, which will call for assistance from a pro 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 frequently seen with a sputtering blower fan motor, which will produce an annoying buzzing noise when your furnace begins to heat. It can also mean there’s a problem with the capacitor or transformer. All three of these troubles need help from a skilled heating and cooling company like Paniccia Heating & Cooling.

Furnace Making Knocking Noise

If your furnace is making knocking sounds, it’s frequently a symptom that an internal piece is going out. This may be anything from a bearing to a belt or the gas valve. It could also be a symptom that your burners are dirty.

These troubles are usually uncovered during annual maintenance done by a certified HVAC professional. So, while we’re at your house working on repairs, don’t forget to check with us about requesting your maintenance appointment for the future.

Furnace Making Clicking Noise

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

At Paniccia Heating & Cooling, our specialists are here to help you relax in peaceful, energy-efficient comfort. If your furnace is louder than normal or producing strange sounds, contact us at 219-872-2198 to book an appointment right away.