It is spooky season, but you want to enjoy the spookiness on your own terms. Scary sounds coming from your air conditioner are not enjoyable at all, especially this time of the year. In fact, unusual sounds mean that you need to schedule air conditioning service in Gulfport, MS.
It’s the best way to stay ahead of serious air conditioner problems before they become truly terrifying. After all, unusual sounds are warnings to you that something is going wrong inside the air conditioner. When you address these warning signs early, it is better for your air conditioner. You can keep reading to learn more about the five most common unusual sounds that we get calls for when it comes to air conditioners
1. Hissing or Bubbling
When it comes to unusual sounds coming from your air conditioner, some are more dangerous than others. A refrigerant leak is definitely a problem that deserves immediate attention. But refrigerant can make two different sounds depending on where there is a leak in the line. Refrigerant cycles between being a liquid and being a gas during each cooling cycle.
In one portion of the line, it makes a bubbling sound. And another portion of the line, it makes a hissing sound. Either sound coming down from the refrigerant lines is a frightening situation. Refrigerant is usually perfectly safe as long as it is contained within the lines of your air conditioner. But leaking refrigerant is harmful if you breathe it in or touch it. It can also damage the structure of your home and surrounding AC components.
2. Crackling
You might hear a crackling sound when your air conditioner first turns on to cool your home or as it cycles down from being on. During these two times, it’s completely normal to hear a little bit of crackling. Temperature changes allow the material of ductwork to expand and contract, which results in a crackling or rattling sound.
However, if the sound comes from inside of your unit it can indicate that a small component is loose or something else is wrong. It’s also a problem if you hear persistent crackling coming from your ductwork. That could mean you have pieces of the ducts that are loose and rattling around throughout normal operation.
3. Banging
This is one of the more disturbing sounds that you can hear coming from your air conditioner since it is usually very loud. No, nothing is trying to escape from your AC. But a banging sound means that something large is loose inside of your unit. One example is a fan being loose. The fan blades may knock against the surrounding walls and produce a loud sound. It’s also possible that something inside of the air compressor is loose and knocking around.
4. Buzzing
Your AC unit may produce a buzzing sound for a few different reasons. If the unit freezes and cannot operate, the compressor may produce a buzzing sound as it tries to work. The lack of airflow means that your compressor doesn’t have any way to cool your home, so it buzzes against the strain.
Small loose parts can also produce buzzing. The indoor unit sits on isolation feet that help it to remain balanced. If one foot is off by just a small amount, it will produce a buzzing noise as the foot vibrates during operation. Other small parts like bolts and screws can make the same buzzing noise when they are loose.
5. Clicking
Sometimes it is okay to hear clicking come from your AC. Your AC clicks to turn on and off for a cooling cycle. But each time it should only click a few times at most. Clicking that continues on past a few times indicates a problem. It can be easy to ignore clicking since it isn’t very loud, but even quiet sounds can be serious. If your AC is struggling to turn on or stay on for a cooling cycle then something serious is wrong.
Contact AirSouth Cooling and Heating today to schedule an appointment for AC service.
