2 Sounds You Might Hear Coming From Your Air Conditioner And How To Quiet Them
Posted on: 14 July 2016
When the temperature is very high, the air conditioner inside your house can be a lifesaver. However, if you start to hear strange noises, you might wonder if something is wrong. Here are common sounds and what you might be able to do about them.
Knocking
Hearing something knocking about inside the air conditioner may cause you to think that some small debris has gotten inside or that some insignificant piece has come loose, particularly if the unit continues to cool the area. In fact, the knocking could indicate something more serious.
The sound might be coming from the fan. Ordinarily, the fan operates silently, but the knob which holds the fan in place can become loose over time. As a result, the fan, operating at a high speed, can give off a knocking or shaking sound as it is in motion moving up and down the spindle,until it knocks against the knob. Unless you tighten the knob, it could come off completely and cause the fan to spin into the interior of the machine. If that happens, the blades of the fan could cause damage to other components.
To make sure that doesn't happen, you'll need to turn off the A/C unit and open the access panel. You'll see the fan there, and if it seems loose when you touch it, you'll know that you just need to do some tightening of the knob. After doing so, close the panel and turn on your unit; you should notice that the sound is gone.
Squealing
If you hear a high-pitched noise coming from the A/C unit, that can be a startling sound and you might immediately realize that the problem needs to be addressed. That sound could be a fan-related problem; this time, it could be the fan's belt. The motor inside your unit causes the belt to turn, which then causes the fan itself to turn. However, as a normal part of wear and tear, the belt could slip out of place and a metal on metal sound can cause that squealing you hear. The belt could end up slipping off completely or could start to melt because of the heat of the motor.
To address this problem, get into the access panel and look for the fan's belt, a strip of rubber near or behind the fan. If you can place it back upon its track, do so. If it seems to be melted or ripped, you may need to replace it by heading to the nearest home improvement store with the brand and model of your A/C unit in mind.
If the sounds persist after you attempt to make repairs, get in touch with one of the HVAC contractors in your town, like those at Economy Air Systems Inc. They can help you find out what's going on.
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