What on Earth is causing your air conditioner to make that awful noise? Here in Florida, saying that our air conditioners work overtime all the time is an understatement. However, it still seems like air conditioners have an uncanny habit of clocking out on unbearably hot days. A noisy, clunky air conditioner (AC) can definitely spark fear and anxiety in a homeowner because it often means that time is running out before we’re left sweating it out. The biggest danger here is ignoring or getting accustomed to the sound. Strange AC sounds are always telling us something! Make sure you’re bringing in a local pro in the Bradenton, FL area for air conditioning repair ASAP! Let’s break down the most common reasons why your AC is making noises.
Humming
Humming is the most common air conditioner noise. Getting to the bottom of a humming AC unit takes some work because there are several potential causes. First, the humming could be the result of interior ice buildup. This means that some underlying issue is causing freezing. Potential causes include poor internal airflow, low refrigerant, or a broken fan.
It’s also possible that a component within your AC is loose. You may simply be hearing spinning or vibrations from a loose part. Another potential cause is a defective contactor relay switch that isn’t receiving the right signals from the thermostat. Finally, electrical issues sometimes make AC units hum. For example, a faulty circuit breaker could cause electrical buzzing or humming.
Screeching
Screeching is also pretty common. It generally indicates a malfunctioning fan motor within the outdoor condenser unit. If the fan motor looks good, it’s possible that the compressor’s motor has failed.
Rattling
Rattling is sometimes caused by leaves, sticks, and debris that get into your AC’s outdoor condenser unit. A more serious rattling cause could be that there’s an electrical malfunction somewhere within the AC. Unfortunately, allowing AC to run in the event of an electrical malfunction could permanently damage the compressor.
Banging
If it feels like something is knocking around inside your AC system, there’s a good chance something is loose. Common culprits include loose screws, bolts, or fan parts. The important thing is that banging indicates that some part that’s needed for your AC to function is no longer in the right place. Even a tiny screw could ultimately cause a full AC shutdown.
Hissing
Eerie hissing noises coming from your AC typically mean you have an air duct leak in your home. The two common culprits are the expansion valve and air filter. Hissing is also sometimes caused by clogged condenser coils. A clogged condenser coil causes hissing because air is unable to move freely.
Whooshing
Whooshing is slightly different from hissing. Unlike the “escaping air” sound of hissing, whooshing has a gentler, more wind-like sound. There’s good news if you hear whooshing coming from your AC. This is totally normal. You’re simply hearing the sound of air moving through your home. Whooshing is loudest when you’re walking directly under vents.
Popping
This might not actually be a problem with your AC. In general, popping noises come from ductwork. You’re most likely to hear them when your AC is ramping up and down. What you hear is the sound of air popping at duct joints as it rushes through your ductwork. A little-known secret about popping ductwork is that it slows down AC efficiency.
Clicking
It’s easy to become immune to the clicks you hear when AC starts up. Most people assume that this is just the sound of AC “warming up.” Not necessarily. While some minor clicking is standard, something could be going wrong if you’re noticing more clicks or “changing” clicks. Troublesome clicking is generally a sign that something is going on with the AC capacitor.
Your AC’s capacitor is the part that gets the motor running as your system powers up. Excess clicking is often the first sign that your capacitor is about to fail. Fixing the issue before that happens is essential because your motor will not turn on once the capacitor has failed.
The Takeaway: Don’t Ignore Strange Noises Coming From Your AC
Why is my AC making loud noises? The truth is that your AC could be making strange noises for any number of reasons. Some sounds could be caused by loose parts or debris that can be resolved immediately. Others are caused by major parts failures. The one thing that every type of strange AC noise has in common is that the problem will get much worse unless you bring in a qualified local AC repair company right away. Don’t risk having a busted AC on a hot, sweltering day. Contact the trusted pros at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating in Bradenton, FL.