Your AC has several ways to warn you something is not right. It doesn’t yet have the ability to self-diagnose its problem and provide a warning via the thermostat screen (the technology will get there eventually), but it has other options. One of the best is making strange or loud sounds.
You know what an air conditioning system sounds like since you’ve spent plenty of time in homes and buildings with them. ACs generate a “white noise” of whirring motors and humming compressors with the occasional clicking sound at start-up and water dripping into the condensate pan. Anything that goes outside these boundaries, or the AC making more noise than usual, is a warning to call for air conditioning service in Bryant, AR. Technicians can investigate the sound and see what repairs will correct the problem. The sooner you have professionals on the job, the less expensive and expansive the repair is likely to be.
To help you understand what you’re listening for, we’ve listed a few of the sounds you don’t want to hear coming from your AC, along with explanations of what they might mean.
Grinding and shrieking
These sound effects from horror movies can also be described as “mechanical trouble sounds.” These noises often indicate problems with one of the motors in an AC that powers the fans and the compressor. The high-pitched shrieking comes from the bearings in a motor wearing down. If the bearings wear down completely, the motor will burn out, so moving fast to have professionals replace the bearings can save the motor. Grinding can mean a motor is already burning out and may fail soon.
Rattling
The simplest explanation for a rattling sound is that the panel for the HVAC cabinet hasn’t latched completely. Check the door to see if it will close fully. The rattling can also mean screws are coming loose inside the AC because of vibrations, or a part has already come loose.
Clanging
Any sharp metal-on-metal noise is alarming—and that’s good, because it can mean a serious problem in the AC that you need to know about right away. A part may have come loose inside the blower assembly, or the blower fan has become misaligned, leading to the blades striking the casing. We recommend shutting off the AC at its main switch and calling for repairs ASAP; you don’t want to give a chance for the damage to worsen.
Hissing and bubbling
These noises may seem like two different types of problems, but they point to the same condition: leaks in the refrigerant line. Refrigerant in high-pressure gaseous state will create hissing as it escapes from leaks, and low-pressure liquid state refrigerant will create bubbling noises. Leaking refrigerant puts the entire AC in danger of failure, so please call for repairs right away. Technicians must seal the leaks and restore the proper level of refrigerant.
As with most repairs, please leave diagnosing the actual source to the professionals. It’s our job to have your AC fixed right the first time so you can enjoy worry-free cooling.
Dewees HVAC proudly serves the Conway area. Call us for 24-hour emergency air conditioning repair service.