Your furnace can make a variety of different sounds if something is going wrong inside the unit. Rattling is a sound that can have a variety of different causes. If you hear rattling, it can range from being fairly quiet to loud and persistent.
No matter what the cause of the sound, rattling means that you need to schedule an appointment for furnace repair in Murrieta. You can keep reading to learn about four of the common reasons for a furnace to make a rattling sound and why issue is dangerous for your heating system.
1. Loose Components
One common reason for rattling in a furnace is for components to loosen up or come completely detached. As your furnace turns on, heats your home, and turns back off again, minor vibrations can loosen screws and bolts. Once these small parts begin to loosen up, they can unscrew completely as time goes on if they aren’t tightened back again.
It’s also possible for larger components to rattle against other pieces as well. Examples of this include:
- Cabinet doors
- Mounts for the blower motor
- Attached ductwork
Keep in mind that if it’s your ductwork that is loose, the issue should be fairly easy to identify. The rattling sound will come the from the loose segment of ductwork instead of your furnace cabinet itself. You’ll hear rattling come from your attic or basement based on where the ductwork is located in your home.
If these loose components aren’t addressed, the persistent rattling can lead to additional wear and damage that isn’t reversible, ultimately leading to more costly repairs. Regular professional maintenance appointments with our team can save you time, money, and the headache of facing significant furnace problems.
2. Dirty or Broken Blower Fan
The blower fan inside your furnace is critical because it pushes the heated air out into the ductwork so it can circulate heat evenly throughout your home. If the fan blades get too dirty or debris gets inside, the delicate fan blades may get off balance. Even a minor imbalance can lead to a rattling or clattering sound as the blades spin around.
Rattling that originates from the blower fan can also be caused by the debris itself. A loose screw or piece of insulation might also get stuck and create a rattling sound even if the blower is working just fine. When you prioritize regular maintenance with our team, we can clean the blower fan and housing annually and address any loose components that we find.
3. Cracked or Damaged Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger is arguably the most important part of any gas furnace because it’s where the combustion process happens safely. Clean heated air gets transferred into your home, which carbon monoxide moves away from your home to protect your indoor air quality. A heat exchanger that is damaged or cracked can make a rattling sound as the broken pieces vibrate together during operation.
Suppose you suspect that your heat exchanger is cracked for any reason–rattling sound or not–you need to turn the system off and call for service right away. Heat exchanger damage is particularly concerning because any small crack can allow carbon monoxide to leak out into your clean air.
4. Issues with Installation or Alignment
If you have a newer furnace, it’s possible that it wasn’t installed correctly to begin with and has shifted out of alignment. If this is the case, you want to address the issue right away. Incorrect installation can have lifetime impacts. It’s crucial for your furnace to be perfectly level and securely mounted.
Otherwise, you may hear a rattling sound during the operation. It’s easy to think a minor rattle isn’t a huge deal, especially if it isn’t particularly loud. But rattling can be a problem that snowballs into a much larger issue.
Contact RKM Heating and Air Conditioning today to schedule an appointment with us for HVAC maintenance. Done Right, Priced Right.