Sounds That Mean Your Furnace Needs Repair Right Away

Almost every furnace makes some degree of noise when it's running, but that doesn't mean that all furnace noises are normal. In fact, some furnace noises are a serious cause for concern. As a homeowner, it's important that you understand when your furnace is making a noise that means you need heating repair. Here's a look at a couple of the things you might hear from your furnace that could indicate that you need to call a furnace repair technician.

Rumbling Sounds

If your furnace sounds like it's rumbling, much like thunder or a freight train, when it's running, that's an indication that the unit isn't burning fuel the way that it should. This can be caused by a dirty burner or a poorly adjusted pilot light.

Check the flame on the pilot light to see what it looks like. A healthy pilot flame should be blue in color. A pilot light that's any other color, including orange, red, or yellow, is a pilot light that's not burning as efficiently as it is supposed to.

You'll want to have your furnace cleaned and serviced as soon as possible in this case. There's a good chance that your furnace isn't burning off all of the fuel that's passing through it, which is what's causing the poor pilot light color and the rumbling sound. It can also lead to an accumulation of fuel fumes in your home and residue on the burner. Having the unit serviced will address these problems and repair the pilot light system.

Squealing Or Screeching

A furnace that's squealing or screeching when it runs, even if it's only periodically, is an indication that there's either a problem with the belt in the motor or possibly a bearing going bad in the fuel pump. In either case, ignoring this sound could lead to a complete furnace failure and far more costly repairs. You need to make sure that you address this right away to keep your furnace running as it should, so call a technician as soon as you start hearing these sounds.

Metal Grinding

In most cases, a metal grinding sound from your furnace means that there's a problem with the blower fan. It might mean that there's a broken fin that's scraping against the fan when it runs, or it could be that the bearing in the fan is going bad and causing friction in the unit when it spins. Either way, if you neglect a metal grinding sound in your furnace, it could cause the fan to fail completely, which will leave you without heat until you can get it repaired.

Talk with a furnace repair technician today about any of these problems or any other questions you might have.