As your furnace switches on and begins to heat your house, it’s normal for it to produce some noise. These sounds, including the burners firing up and the blower whirring, are all part of the normal start-up steps.

But there are several approaches you can do to make your furnace run more quietly this winter.

1. Schedule Regular Furnace Maintenance

Furnace maintenance is very important, as it keeps your manufacturer warranty in place. This helps protect you if something big stops working in your furnace during your warranty period.

It can also help our professionals find small issues that might make your furnace noisy. And potentially help you prevent a meltdown on the coldest day of the year. The Indoor Air Quality Association reports that regular maintenance can reduce your likelihood of furnace repairs by up to 95%.

If small furnace problems go unnoticed, they may result in trouble later on. By uncovering these troubles sooner, our pros can get your furnace fixed before heating season is underway.

And most essential, professional cleaning and lubrication of your furnace’s moving pieces can help make it more efficient. A correctly maintained furnace could save up to 30% on your gas expenses, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

2. Regularly Replace Your Furnace’s Air Filter

Your air filter helps keep your residence’s air fresh and clean. When it gets too filthy, it can make your furnace turn on and off too frequently. Known as short cycling, this can cause your furnace to consume additional energy and make it stop working faster.

Our advice for replacing your furnace filter:

  • Flat filter: Once a month
  • Pleated filter: Every three months

You might have to replace your filter more regularly if you have allergies or pets.

3. Get in Touch with Tokay When Your Furnace Is Producing Odd Noises

Some furnaces, particularly older ones, may be louder than others. But if you’re detecting exceedingly loud or odd noises, you should get in touch with a heating and cooling company like Tokay for furnace repair in Lodi.

Here are a couple of noises to be looking for, how to repair them and when to get in touch with a specialist.

Furnace Making Gurgling or Bubbling Noise

This noise occurs more commonly with high-efficiency furnaces. That’s since they discharge fumes in another way than older furnaces, and the process can create some moisture. If your furnace is experiencing difficulties discharging this water, it may make gurgling or bubbling sounds. You’ll need skilled support for this trouble, since it could be created by a blocked drain pipe or clogged drain pan.

Furnace Making Banging Noise

It’s not a great thing when your furnace is making a banging sound. It could mean several things.

Haven’t had maintenance done recently and your furnace is creating a banging sound when starting? Its burners might be dirty. Dirty burners can delay ignition, which causes gas to accumulate inside your furnace.

All that accumulated gas can make a banging or booming racket when your furnace eventually does ignite. But this is more than just an irritating noise, since the accumulated gas is igniting within your furnace. This can damage your furnace’s heat exchanger and create a dangerous carbon monoxide leak.

If you’ve forgotten regular tune-ups for your furnace and you’re detecting this noise, give Tokay a call at 209-257-3156. Our heating pros will get your furnace tuned up and double-check it’s running correctly.

Your ductwork can also produce banging sounds when your furnace starts, since the metal is expanding and contracting.

We advise first inspecting your furnace’s air filter and replacing it if it’s dirty. Next, make sure you don’t have too many vents shut in your home, as it can force air pressure out of balance.

If neither of these steps repair the sound, your ductwork might be dirty or undersized, which will require assistance from a professional HVAC technician.

Furnace Making Humming or Buzzing Noise

If your furnace is buzzing or humming, it’s a sign there’s electrical troubles. This is most often seen with a sputtering blower fan motor, which will create an irritating buzzing noise when your furnace turns on. It can also mean there’s trouble with the capacitor or transformer. All three of these issues need help from an experienced heating and cooling company like Tokay.

Furnace Making Knocking Noise

If your furnace is making knocking sounds, it’s often a symptom that an internal component is dying. This may be anything from a bearing to a belt or the gas valve. It could also be a symptom that your burners are dirty.

These troubles are typically uncovered during annual maintenance provided by a certified HVAC pro. So, while we’re at your home doing repairs, don’t forget to check with us about requesting your maintenance appointment for the upcoming year.

Furnace Making Clicking Noise

A clicking sound might be the result of issues: worn bearings, gas valve problems or ignition troubles. All these problems need pro support.

At Tokay, our experts are here to help you unwind in peaceful, energy-efficient comfort. If your furnace is louder than normal or producing weird sounds, contact us at 209-257-3156 to request an appointment right away.