Coming on to winter season, many people—including myself—look for the best possible way to keep their home feeling warm and comfortable.
I personally prefer using a fireplace to keep the inside of my home warm during winter days, but most people don’t own a fireplace, so they often use a space heater or a furnace to achieve the same end result.
Even though a furnace does a decent job when it comes to dispersing heat throughout the home, it comes with a high noise level that can be quite disturbing, especially when you’re trying to concentrate.
As you probably know, the furnace is usually located in the basement. Despite the fact that it’s down there, the noise still finds a way to spread throughout the house.
A noisy furnace usually makes annoying whistling, rumbling and banging sounds, but I’m here to help you learn how to effectively reduce unwanted noise.
How to Quiet a Noisy Furnace Blower
1. Focus on the Weak Spots
The first thing you’ll need to do is find the weak spot in the ducts. If you have faulty ductwork, then the furnace will produce a strange banging sound, which is known for being caused by the oil canning.
Once you’ve noticed the weak spots, it’s time to get a thick piece of metal and screw it on each of these spots. After that, your job is done!
Another simple solution is to use a hammer to dent each weak spot in the ducts. However, if you don’t consider yourself a handyman, then it’s best if you just screw on a piece of metal, which is by far the easier choice.
2. Fix Loose Parts
Loose parts on the furnace can be the reason behind the unwanted noise you’re experiencing as the blower runs. This problem can be solved very easily if you simply add a few more screws to the air duct or even put duct tape on the loose parts.
Sometimes the noise coming from your furnace may be due to the fact that there’s a loose belt inside the furnace blower. If you check, and the belt is actually loose, then it’s best to replace it with a new one.
3. Fill All the Gaps in the Ducts
If the filters are working properly, but your furnace is still making a whistling noise, this means you’ll need to take a closer look at your duct in order to see if there are any gaps in it.
If there are any gaps in the part of the duct that’s connected with the furnace, where the blower is located, you’ll have to seal the gaps as soon as possible.
To get the job done, you can seal them by using duct tape or foil tape. If you don’t mind spending a bit of money, then a more effective option would be to use a high-heat silicone seal to seal it.
4. Repair Your Ductwork
Another simple, yet effective solution is to repair the ductwork on the ceiling below. You can inspect the ceiling to check and see if any of the metal parts aren’t nailed properly, or if the duct is too tight.
If you find any faults, all you’ll have to do is reinforce the duct or rehang it, and the squeaking noise should be gone.
5. Check the Filters
If you’re hearing a banging noise coming from your filter, then there may be a problem with the airflow. You can easily solve this problem by removing your furnace filter and investing in a new one. Luckily, I’ve found an inexpensive furnace filter option for you!
6. Fix the Motor
If you’ve tried the methods above, but still haven’t solved the issue, then you can do is take a closer look at your motor’s condition. If the motor has a complicated design, you should probably just replace it with a new one, since it can be rather difficult to fix one of these on your own.
However, if the motor’s design is fairly simple, you can surely try fixing it yourself. Over time, the motor bearings tend to get worn down, which means you’ll need to lubricate them.
The process is relatively easy and inexpensive, as all you’ll need to do is apply some lubrication oil on the bearings.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that the furnace blower can make a different kind of noise, depending on the reason behind its malfunctioning. You should take the time to understand the type of furnace you have, as identifying any specific problems will help you eliminate the noise coming from your furnace.
As mentioned earlier, the problem could simply lie with improper airflow, gaps in the filter or faulty ductwork. You can experience all of these problems with your furnace, regardless of whether it’s new or old.
By following the steps above, you should be able to identify your furnace’s problems and fix the furnace yourself, without hiring a professional.
You can also check out my guide about whether sound travels up or down.
image 1: Dwight Sipler; image 2: Public Domain Files
Very impressive, good job and thanks for sharing such a good article!