Is your A/C noisy and it’s not the regular sound you’re used to hearing during normal operation? Many serious A/C problems can cause unusual or alarming noises, and they need the immediate attention of an HVAC technician. Others can be easily fixed with a bit of troubleshooting. The following tips can help you identify and cure some of the most common causes of air conditioner noise:
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A rattling fan. Before you investigate a noisy fan, shut off the A/C’s circuit breaker in your main electrical panel. Remove the access panel on the unit and check for any fallen debris or a dirt accumulation on the fan blades. Next, check whether the blades are loose. If so, tighten up the screw(s) in the fan’s hub. If any of the blades look bent, you’ll need expert help.
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Vibrating hardware. All air conditioners vibrate while they’re running, which can cause hardware to shift and loosen over time. If the cover panel screws have worked loose, just tightening them up could quiet things down. If the noise is coming from inside the housing, though, it may be due to a detached pulley or motor mount, or even displaced refrigerant tubing. Fixing these issues is best left to a trained professional.
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A humming motor. A lack of lubrication can cause humming or even grinding noises in the air conditioner’s motor. If the unit has oil ports, adding one or two drops of SAE 10 oil to each can reduce friction so the unit runs quietly again. If this doesn’t work, or the motor is sealed, call your HVAC contractor.
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Pinging ductwork. When the A/C kicks on and starts pushing cooled air through the ducting, the metal expands due to the increased pressure, and this can sometimes cause a pinging noise. If it’s occurring in a section of exposed ductwork, you can solve the problem by making a slight dent in the metal on the spot where you hear the noise.
Is the A/C noisy in your Los Angeles area home and you need expert advice? Contact us today at Around the Clock Air Conditioning & Heating.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about noisy A/Cs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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