Here in Fresno, heating concerns raise their head every winter, as our hot Central Valley summers fade to the rainy, chilly season. Good heaters are a key part of keeping your home warm and cozy, and when they malfunction, you need to have the problem addressed as quickly as possible. Most heaters make some kind of noise when they operate, either with a blowing fan motor, a soft hum of electricity, or the like. When strange noises occur, it’s usually not a good sign. What qualifies as strange noises – noises every heater should not make? A quick overview can be found below.
In the simplest possible terms, a strange noise is any noise that you don’t recall hearing before, and that doesn’t seem connected with the heater’s normal functions. You’ll usually know it when you hear it. It can be something obvious, such as a buzzing or a grinding noise which occurs when the fan is bent or something is caught in it. You might also hear a loud knocking noise when a motor overloads, or a dripping noise if there’s a problem with the drain line.
In other cases, the noise might be more subtle. For example, if there’s a breach in the duct system, you might here a soft humming or a whistling. Or a loose bolt somewhere in the heater itself might cause a quiet rattling when the heater turns on. These usually aren’t quite as dire as louder noises, but they can still cause tremendous damage to your heating system if left untreated.
Either way, if you detect any noises that every heater should not make – which is to say, any noises you haven’t heard before and/or which sound problematic – then your best bet is to shut off the heater and call in a qualified service technician immediately. In Fresno, heating repairs are covered by the experts at Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning. We’ll track down the source of the noise and make repairs with all of the courtesy and professionalism you’ve come to expect. Pick up the phone and give our Fresno heating repair service technicians a call today!