With the extreme heat in Las Vegas Nevada, your air conditioner is vital. Your air conditioner unit is meant to replace hot air with a cold one to cool your body, not to make irritating noises.
The latest AC units are high-efficient and incorporated with two-stage compressors and sound-dampening technology to keep noise levels to the barest minimum (less than 55dB).
So if your air conditioner starts running louder or starts making an unusual noise during normal operation, don’t ignore it. Take immediate action to consult an expert AC repair service as soon as possible, it can even be an extensive list of things going on in there:
Unusual noises from your AC units are a sign that something is wrong with your AC and that it may need a quick repair or upgrade
These noises may be from a part that needs a simple tune-up. Ignoring these unusual noises can turn minor “quick-fix” issues into major expenses, worst still, replacing the entire unit.
So, whenever you hear unusual noises from your AC units, what you should do right away is call a professional AC repair service to diagnose the problem and fix your AC units.
The sooner the cause of the noise from the AC is diagnosed and repaired, the better.
However, if you’re curious about why your air conditioner is making noises, here are common causes of air conditioner noises:
- Bad or loose bearings and belts
- Clogged filters
- Coil damage
- Poor duct design or damaged ducts
- Electrical issues
- Fan problems
- Loose parts, etc.
More so, when your air conditioner is making noises, you can listen to the specific noise it’s making as this can give you a clue to what is wrong with the AC units.
Here are the common noises you might hear coming from your air conditioner and their possible causes.
Note: While you may or may not be able to stop the noises with this information, this information would help you to decide whether you need to call a professional AC repair service immediately or to wait until your next maintenance appointment.
1. Whining and Whistling Noise
If your air conditioner is making an annoying whining and whistling noises, it could be a sign of airflow problems.
Here are some common airflow problems that can cause your air conditioner to make whining and whistling noises:
Clogged Air Filters: Air filters are specially designed to trap dust, contaminants, and any other particles. However they can become full at a point and when this happens, airflow becomes blocked, which will lead to an unusual noise from the air conditioner.
Cleaning or, better still, changing the air filter will fix the noise and you should be able to do this yourself.
Damaged Ducts: It’s normal to expect ductwork to leak or develop cracks after several years of use. When this happens, air escapes through the cracks or leaks and makes a whistling sound.
Incompatible Ducts and Part: This is common if you’ve replaced any part of your AC units over the years. If parts of your AC units have been replaced piecemeal in time past, chances are that you would end up with some AC unit parts that don’t work well together.
This can cause your air conditioner vents to make a whistling sound. For more information on ductwork visit this page.
2. Shaking and Rattling Noise
Loose AC unit parts are usually the cause of rattling noises coming from your air conditioner.
Some parts of the AC units, especially parts that are subjected to lots of movement e.g. the motors, can become loose, creating a shaking noise. Ducts can also come loose.
Rattling noises can also result when one or more of the screws in your AC units go loose. In that case, you can easily fix the issue with a screwdriver and that will silence the rattling noise.
More so, chances are that your AC units are not properly secured to its concrete footing.
One or two screws might have fallen off causing the unit to shake. While you may be tempted to fix this by yourself, it is smarter to call on a professional.
This will save you from the hazard of high voltage electricity and toxic chemicals.
3. Squeaking, Squealing, Or Screeching Noise
If your air conditioner is making high-pitched noises, call on an expert AC repairer immediately to look at your AC’s fan motor and compressor.
These types of noises from your air conditioner units are commonly caused by damaged or slipped blower belts or ungreased bearings.
Your AC compressor is that black cylinder-like part that is responsible for circulating refrigerant. For more information on if you need AC repair service such as motor replacement or work visit our page here.
4. Loud Buzzing Noise
Most times, a buzzing noise is a result of an electrical problem.
So, when you hear a buzzing sound from your air conditioner, it could mean that your AC units’ contractors or relays are failing.
Common electrical problems with AC units include:
- Arcing
- Broken capacitor
- Failing motor
- Loose wiring
- Malfunctioning compressor
You can’t fix this type of sound yourself, so you need to call on a professional AC repair service to help you fix this noise.
5. Humming Noise
Humming noise is due to an error from the fan. If your air conditioner’s fan isn’t running properly, it will give a humming noise. To avoid this, your air conditioner’s fan must be maintained regularly and kept clean.
A worn-out part in the air conditioner’s fan, such as shifted or bent blades, and problems within the fan motor can also cause the air conditioner to make a humming noise.
6. Hissing noise
When you hear a hissing noise from your air conditioning unit, your refrigerant is possibly leaking. Most of the time, this noise is also associated with other problems, such as air conditioner not cooling well or the AC unit running more often.
If you hear such a hissing noise coming from your AC unit, it’s time to call on an expert AC repairer to have your refrigerant checked as well as other parts for leakages.
Hissing noise can also be as a result of a bad expansion valve, and air filter that doesn’t fit correctly in its slot.
However, you can prevent this issue by giving your AC units adequate and regular maintenance.
Leaking refrigerant is mostly caused by neglected maintenance. Neglected coils get corroded over time, resulting in cracks and small holes where refrigerant leaks out.
During your air conditioner’s normal operation, the refrigerant runs in a closed loop within the AC unit. However, the thin copper coils and lines that transmit the refrigerant can leak, allowing the refrigerant to escape
Since the thin copper coils and lines transmit the refrigerant in high pressure, when the refrigerant escapes, it makes a hissing noise similar to when air escapes from a balloon.
7. Constant Running Noise
If you hear a constant running noise from your air conditioner, there is probably a problem with your AC coils. Noise always occurs due to bent coil fins.
More so, if the coil fins are clogged with grime and dirt over time, your AC units will not only work less efficiently but will also end up giving a constant running noise as it struggles to reach the set temperature.
If this problem persists, it can lead to a system breakdown. for more information on coil cleaning for evaporator click here and for condenser coil cleaning click here.
8. Banging Noise
If you hear a loud banging noise coming from your air conditioner unit, your AC compressor is probably at fault.
Due to wear and tear from constant use, some parts inside the AC compressor can become loose, creating a loud banging noise from inside the compressor.
If your AC unit has a problem with its condenser, replacing it is the best option. It’s hardly possible that an AC technician would repair your compressor.
In most cases of compressor damage, the only solution is getting an entirely new compressor.
9. Clicking Noise
Hearing a loud clicking noise from your AC unit may be caused by several issues with your AC. That is, the cause of the noise depends on when and where you hear the clicking noise.
For instance, if you hear the clicking noise while your AC unit is running, it could be as a result of a small object nestling its way into your blower fan.
So as the object hits against the fan as it spins, it creates a clicking noise.
However, if you hear the clicking noise when you try to start your AC unit, which refuses to start, then your AC units may have an electrical issue within the capacitor, compressor or thermostat.
10. Clunking Noise
Clunking noise is a sign that the motor of your AC unit needs to be lubricated. While this is not a common problem, it is predominant with older models of air conditioners – newer models of air conditioners don’t require this. To understand why they don’t and learn the difference click here.
Although lubricating your AC motor sounds like an easy feat with lots of DIY videos online, always keep in mind that the air conditioner unit is a high-voltage system. So you must be very cautious when working on it.
Better still, shut off the AC unit and the circuit breaker before getting started if you’ve decided to do it yourself.
11. Poor System Design
Sometimes, poor system design may be responsible for the noises coming from your air conditioner unit. It may be because your AC unit is not fitted with high-quality noise reduction technology.
Here are a few tips on how to install noise reductions and what to look for.
Stop the Noises from Your Air Conditioner
Do you want to have some quiet along with better comfort conditions from your air conditioner unit? Then you have to consult a professional AC repair service such as Rakemen air in Las Vegas, Nevada for an inspection and maintenance visit to your home
Noises from your air conditioner are more than just an annoyance, they are indications that something is wrong with your AC units.
And if immediate attention is not given, a major problem or expensive system breakdown may occur and you may end up spending more money than you expect.
Another way to prevent other air conditioner problems from surfacing and saving yourself from unnecessary spending is to observe regular preventative maintenance. View our package repair and maintenance here on our website.
To Repair Or Replace Your Noisy Air Conditioner, Which Is Better?
As seen above, noises from the air conditioner unit are caused by several factors. So, the decision to either repair or replace your noisy air conditioner depends on the factor(s) responsible for the noise. For more information on if it’s best, view here
Some of the causes of the noise can be easily fixed, even without consulting an AC tech or spending a dime, while in some cases, fixing the cause of the noise might be expensive and requires the service of a profession.
If your noisy AC unit is old and you thought it unwise to spend such an expensive amount on fixing an old system, then you may replace the noisy air conditioner.
More so, there are other factors you need to consider before deciding whether to repair or replace your noisy air conditioner. These factors include:
- The age of the AC unit. For instance, R22 refrigerant (Freon) has been phased out, so if your AC unit still uses it, you may need to replace your AC system.
- The condition of the AC unit
- The repair history of the AC unit. If several parts of your AC units have been replaced or a part has been replaced several times in time past.
- The extent of the current damage causing the noise
Rakeman Air Las Vegas AC Repair Service
If your air conditioner is making unusual noises and this is getting your bothered, listen to the noise and use the guide above to try to understand what the noise is trying to tell you!
The unusual noise from your AC unit may not stop it from working properly, at least for the meantime. However, if you neglect the noise, whatever is responsible for the noise may end up causing more damage to your AC system.
Also, just because the noise is coming from the AC unit inside the building doesn’t mean you shouldn’t examine your outside condenser unit often.
Debris, twigs, and other dirt can get stuck into the condenser unit’s fan. So ensure that the outside unit and the area around it are kept clean and void of debris and dirt.
So, if unusual noises are coming out from your AC unit, take immediate attention to consult an expert AC repair service as soon as possible, it can even be an extensive list of things going on in there. View a list of more common issues here.
Call us today to restore peace along with better comfort conditions to your home while we stop your AC’s unusual noise, and get a quote here.
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