When your furnace is running like it should, it should deliver heat without generating too much disruption. While it’s common to catch your furnace making noise as it turns on, other sounds are showing your furnace should get immediate professional assistance.

Here are some of the most frequent furnace noises and what they can be signaling. If your furnace is making a weird noise, our friendly heating pros are here to assist with the best furnace repair in Portland, Oregon.

1. Furnace Making a Banging Noise

You may have a critical issue on your hands if you’re detecting your furnace making a banging noise. If your furnace is making a knocking noise, it might signal there could be a couple of problems. These include gas accumulating in your furnace or a ductwork situation.

Banging Sounds Coming from Your Furnace

Your heating system turns filthy over time, so that’s why it’s important to schedule routine furnace maintenance with Three Rivers Heating & Cooling. One of the things our techs complete during this service is clean your furnace’s burners. When this part gets dirty, you could hear your furnace making a loud rumbling noise after ignition takes more time. The resulting gas buildup may fracture your furnace’s heat exchanger, where natural gas changes into heat. Any cracks in it can leak carbon monoxide, which is regularly released outdoors. This dangerous gas can be lethal in large concentrations.

If you’re hearing banging or knocking sounds coming from your furnace, Three Rivers Heating & Cooling urges you to turn it off and reaching us at 503-213-4433. Excessive natural gas in your furnace or a cracked heat exchanger are hazardous issues that require prompt repairs.

Banging Sounds Coming from Your Ductwork

Your furnace works with ductwork to provide heated air around your house. If the ductwork wasn’t installed properly or is aging, it can be loud when your furnace is heating. This could be the case if your furnace makes a banging noise when it shuts off. Call Three Rivers Heating & Cooling at 503-213-4433 and we’ll pinpoint the problem.

2. Furnace Making a Buzzing Noise

If you notice your furnace making a buzzing noise, don’t delay calling us. A buzzing sound typically is telling you there’s an electrical issue, like with its transformer, blower motor or capacitor.

Your furnace depends on an internal transformer to operate on the correct voltage. If wires or the box isn’t tight enough, you could notice a low humming noise in the furnace when off. Your furnace also works with a blower motor, which distributes heated or chilly air across your space, and a capacitor, which starts the motor. If either of these pieces are fading, they will buzz when the furnace turns on.

3. Furnace Making a Rattling Noise

If your furnace is making a rattling noise, it could be related to something little, like an unfastened screw, or something major, like a broken piece. In either case, we recommend shutting off your furnace and contacting our heating pros at 503-213-4433 for assistance.

4. Furnace Making a Squealing Noise

If your furnace makes a high-pitched noise, like squealing, when it’s on, it’s trying to alert you it could use some TLC. If you’ve neglected furnace maintenance the last couple of years, belts could be worn out or a bearing might need to be lubricated. We are aware that maintenance sometimes slips your mind, but our professionals can get your furnace heating quietly again quickly.

5. Furnace Making a Whistling Noise

When you’re detecting your furnace making a whistling noise, it’s typically the result of an air leak in your ductwork. You might also notice whistling while the furnace is running if a floor vent isn’t secure. If you’ve looked at your vents but are still noticing sound, Three Rivers Heating & Cooling can help. It’s critical to get loose ductwork taken care of quickly, since it can create comfort issues in your home and drive up your energy bills.

6. Furnace Making a Grinding Noise

It’s not an encouraging sign if you detect your furnace making a grinding noise. This metal-on-metal noise frequently means there’s trouble with your furnace’s blower. Shut down your furnace off promptly and call us at 503-213-4433 for assistance.

When you’re hearing an atypical noise from your furnace, Three Rivers Heating & Cooling is available to help. Contact us at 503-213-4433 to schedule your furnace repair appointment today.