Most people expect their air conditioners to make聽a bit of聽noise when it’s聽running. But if a buzzing聽type聽of sound persists even after your air conditioning shuts聽off, it聽may聽be because聽a component聽isn’t working聽correctly. Whether it’s a faulty motor or an erratic electrical connection, it’s worth聽checking out. Otherwise, your air conditioner聽may聽stop working聽altogether.
Calling聽a professional technician is the best idea when your air conditioner is making noise, since they can quickly聽determine聽the source and聽start聽repairs. In the meantime, here’s some useful聽info聽about why your air conditioner聽may聽be noisy.
First, Find Where the Sound Is Coming From
Tracing the sound back to聽its聽source can help the technician聽narrow down聽the possible causes. Your central air conditioning system聽is made up聽of two units. The outdoor unit聽vents聽the heat collected from your home and cools it down with the refrigerant. This cooler air is sent to the indoor air handler, which聽ensures聽the conditioned air is sent into the ductwork. If the noise you’re hearing isn’t coming from either of these units, the problem聽may聽be聽somewhere聽inside the ductwork itself.
If the sound is coming from the indoor unit:聽When聽noises are聽coming from the indoor unit, it can often be because there’s something wrong with the blower motor. A faulty electrical connection聽can聽cause the motor to聽produce聽a buzzing sound regardless of if the air conditioner is聽running.
Sometimes, however, the noise comes from聽the聽condensate pump. This component helps drain excess moisture away from the rest of the AC system. It may continue to run after a cooling cycle is聽finished聽if there’s still moisture that needs to be聽taken care of.
If the sound is coming from the outdoor unit:聽Just like the indoor unit, the outdoor unit聽uses聽a fan and motor. But instead of sending cool air into your ductwork, this fan is used to dissipate the heat collected from indoors. A聽faulty聽connection could produce a similar buzzing sound, and since it’s outdoors, it聽can聽be a while before you notice it.
The outdoor unit also houses the relay switch, an important component for聽stabilizing聽the voltage that enters the system. When this part makes a sound, it聽might聽have failed and will聽need聽to be replaced.
There’s always a chance that a screw has聽rattled聽loose or a piece of debris has gotten聽stuck聽somewhere inside the system. This can happen to both the indoor and outdoor unit, and will聽produce聽a variety of noises depending on where the object is lodged. If this is the source of the聽irritating聽sound, you shouldn’t hear it for聽much longer聽after the AC shuts off. To make noise in the first place, it’d聽need聽to be close enough to something that could cause it to rattle against the unit housing.
These Noises Are Most Often聽Because of聽an Electrical Problem
You may have聽discovered聽that a lot of the聽possible causes聽of this unusual noise have something to do with electrical components or the connections themselves. Since聽these聽components won’t work without power, a malfunctioning electrical part is the most聽likely聽reason you’ll hear something even when the air conditioner is off. After your technician has聽found聽where the sound is coming from, they’ll聽likely聽start checking components聽like聽the relay switch and compressor, as well as all connections.
Even if you’ve聽located聽the source of your problem and think it’s聽an easy聽fix, it’s best to let a licensed and insured professional聽handle聽electrical problems.
Leave Electrical Problems聽for聽the Pros
If your air conditioner’s electrical system is malfunctioning or damaged,聽hiring聽a professional is the聽right move. There are several reasons why:
- Electrical problems can be hazardous:聽Service technicians have the training, licenses and insurance for safe and effective聽resolutions聽to electrical malfunctions.
- Improper repairs can end up doing more damage:聽Even if you think your DIY skills聽resolved聽the problem, it may have ended up doing more harm than good. Air conditioning systems are still complex machinery, after all.
- Pros can spot other problems:聽Technicians with聽years of聽experience are more likely to聽notice聽when something else is plaguing your HVAC system. They can handle it right there instead of letting the issue聽grow聽or worsen.
Other Common AC Noises
Getting familiar with聽several聽other noises that聽could聽come from your air conditioner is a聽great聽idea. The next time something is wrong, you may be able to recognize it聽quicker聽and call for professional service. A few other聽telltale聽noises include:
- Trickling or Hissing: A leak is the most common culprit. Air leaks are inefficient but can be聽simple聽to resolve. If the coolant is leaking, however, that聽may聽spell big trouble. Components related to the refrigerant supply are聽expensive聽to fix and聽could聽end up resulting in having to replace the聽entire air conditioner.
- Clicking or Ticking: When聽working聽normally, you’ll hear clicks as electrical components start up and direct the air conditioning to run. When there’s an electrical problem, these clicking sounds can happen at random.
- Clanging or Rattling: These sounds are聽usually聽because of a loose screw or a piece of debris. But sometimes it’s a piece of a more important component聽like聽the compressor. The compressor is airtight, so if something breaks off inside it, you聽may聽be stuck with an unpleasant rattle until it’s fixed.
Call聽天美传媒聽for Quiet, Comfortable Cooling
If something doesn’t sound right, don’t wait聽and聽see if it goes away聽on its own. The faster a professional technician can聽take a look, the quicker things can be resolved. You’ll聽appreciate聽a quieter air conditioner and efficient cooling.
Request聽an appointment with the HVAC pros at聽天美传媒聽today by giving us a call at (866) 963-7996.
