Noises are not strange to us, but they can be to a homeowner. When you’re having a night to yourself, enjoying a movie and some popcorn, it can be downright frightening to hear your air conditioner make a strange sound. Especially when it’s a night when you’re alone, or if you’re a little less familiar with AC technology than your spouse or family might be. Don’t worry, there’s no need to panic as long as you’ve got the help of a trusted HVAC professional at your side.
Today, we’re going to talk about some of the more common noises that an air conditioner can make. These almost always signal the need for air conditioning repair in Plano, TX, so don’t think for a second that these sounds or normal, or that you can just go back to forgetting about them. We urge homeowners to call us if they’re experiencing any of the following.
Most Noises Aren’t Good
Look, if your air conditioner clicks when it turns on or off, or you can hear a gentle whirr while the air gets pushed through your air vents, then we’re obviously not talking about that. Likewise, when your air ducts are contracting or expanding due to changing temperatures, and you hear a bit of a creaking every now and then, we’re also not talking about that either. These noises we just mentioned are fairly normal and are easy to ignore. Just make sure you schedule maintenance to give us a chance to check the system for any unheard problems.
That being said, let’s take a look at some noises that are never a good sign.
Rattling
An air conditioner that is rattling is usually suffering from a loose part. That might not sound that bad, until that loose part gets wedged somewhere it shouldn’t, or it bumps into a more sensitive component of the system, completely ruining the cooling process and causing a very expensive fix down the line.
Clanging
Remember how we said that rattling can make things worse? Well, rattling can turn into clanging. This either signifies a larger component that’s gotten loose, a bent fan blade that’s causing distress, or a misaligned component that’s not quite situated correctly.
Hissing or Bubbling
This is a very unique set of noises that requires professional attention. Hissing or bubbling represents a refrigerant leak in your air conditioner. The hissing can be the gaseous refrigerant escaping from your refrigerant lines, and the bubbling can be the sound of air bubbles forming in lines where the refrigerant is liquid. Yes—refrigerant switches from gas to liquid during the cooling process, which is why these two sounds can be different but signal the same problem.
Grinding or Shrieking
Grinding or shrieking are noises you never want to hear. They indicate a very serious problem is occurring inside your air conditioner. Shrieking could be from old bearings or belts that are about to fall apart and cause a system breakdown. Griding means that some metal component is constantly running up against another metal component, which will make short work of your AC’s lifespan and efficiency.
Call Hutchins Plumbing & Air Conditioning to repair your AC today. Get it done right… Right now!
