Like every other appliance or piece of equipment in your home, your air conditioner has a wide range of unique noises and sounds it makes. Figuring out the source of the air conditioner noises can be quite challenging and frustrating which is where the professionals here at South Nashville Heating & Cooling come in. Our highly skilled and trained technicians stand ready to serve you with your every HVAC need and that includes full inspections to identify potential problems and provide effective and efficient solutions.
Whenever we hear an odd sound coming from our HVAC system, we immediately become alarmed not knowing the source or just how serious it can be. Often times, air conditioner noises do not interfere with the system’s overall performance, but can, in some instances present with rather serious and even costly repairs. Below you will find some of the most common noises that an air conditioner can make and the obvious causes of those noises.
- High Pitched screaming like noise – If you hear a very high pitched screaming type noise coming from your outdoor AC unit when you first turn it on, and it last for about 10 seconds chances are your compressor is having issues. More than likely there is pressure building up within your AC system which is causing the compressor to make this near to horrifying noise. When you hear this noise, shut off your AC and contact the team here at South Nashville Heating & Cooling to come on out and repair the problem. (Just as a matter of principle – when this screaming sound occurs and high pressure builds up, your AC system safety switch will more than likely shut off your AC automatically for you.)
- Annoying gurgling or bubbling noise – There are a couple of issues that can be present when hearing a gurgling or bubbling noise. Your condensate drain line may have a problem or your AC system may have some type of refrigerant leak. When this gurgling noise occurs it probably will not do any real harm to keep your system running, but take a moment to ensure that your condensate drain line has a proper trap. If you are unsure how to do this then again contact our professionals. Also, if you think the source is that of a refrigerant issue, then do not delay, but rather contact our technicians to come check it out and resolve the problem.
- Banging or knocking noise – If you give witness to a clanging type of noise coming from your outdoor unit, chances are the unit’s fan is being obstructed and is hitting something. There could be a stick or other item that got into the outdoor unit or the fan itself may have come loose from its mount and is banging up against the protective cage and wobbling about. If and when this occurs, turn off your AC right away since running it can lead to a much bigger problem. Again, it is critical to have a professional air conditioner contractor like the team here at South Nashville Heating & Cooling inspect, identify and resolve the problem.
- Obnoxious squealing noise – When your HVAC is in operation, whether AC, heat or fan mode, and you notice a very loud squealing noise either regularly or on and off, it may very well be that the fan belt is either worn out or misaligned. When this occurs, it is ok to keep your system running, but remember over time it is going to eventually snap and break and you will be without heat or air conditioning. So, don’t delay. Get it fixed as soon as possible.
- Consistent screeching noise – If, when you turn your AC on, the outside unit starts to make a loud screeching type noise and continues until such time that you turn the unit off, the chances are that the fan motor bearings are on their way out. If such is the case, then it is time to contact our team and have your fan motor replaced. If it is absolutely necessary to keep your AC running after hearing this noise, then do so, but make certain to get this problem fixed immediately.
- Clicking noises – If you hear a repeated clicking noise coming from your outdoor unit, you probably have some small obstruction of sorts in the unit’s fan. Take time to remove the obstruction before continuing to use the AC system. If your AC unit will not turn on at all and all you hear is a clicking sound instead, more than likely you have an electrical problem that should be corrected right away. Whether a faulty thermostat, a problem with the capacitor or a compressor problem, you need to get it repaired so you can resume use of your AC system.
If you have fallen victim to any of these noises coming from your AC system, then don’t delay, but rather reach out to the professionals here at South Nashville Heating & Cooling today. We are committed to providing the highest quality HVAC products and services this side of Nashville. Don’t get caught this summer without your air conditioning. Contact our team today and schedule your routine system maintenance now!!
