As the days start to get colder, you’re going to start relying on your furnace to keep you warm on a day-to-day basis. At some point, you may start to hear strange noises coming from your furnace. Unusual noises are often the first sign of a problem with your system. Let’s take a look at some of the more common noises that you need to listen for.
Booming
A deep booming sound coming from your furnace may be pretty alarming, but it’s not as dangerous as it sounds. Normally, this sound is created by a carbon buildup on the burner assembly, which will cause one or more of the jets to fire later than it should. When it does, it burns through all the excess gas buildup at once and creates that booming sound. It’s not dangerous, but you should still get the assembly cleaned. If the jets get too dirty, they may not be able to fire at all and then you’ll be unable to use the furnace.
Grinding
The furnace air handler motor is put under a lot of stress when it’s running, which is why it’s equipped with lubricated bearings to help lessen the friction. Those bearings don’t last forever, though. As the bearings start to wear down and fail, the friction on the air handler increases. That’s what creates the grinding sound. If the bearings aren’t replaced, the friction on the motor will continue to rise until it eventually burns out. You should turn off your furnace and call for repairs as soon as you hear this sound.