If your air conditioner is loud, don’t ignore it, especially if instead of a loud hum there is a loud clunking and chunking. A loud air conditioner signals that it is not working properly. When an air conditioner isn’t working properly it is either working too hard and driving up your energy bill or not running enough and hardly cooling your home. Neither of these situations are ideal. Let’s play a game of name that sound!
What is the cause of the air conditioner noise?
A harsh rattling or humming
This noise could be the result of an improperly working fan. The fan inside the air conditioning unit should be kept clean. Remove any debris that might have fallen in. It is important that the blades of the fan aren’t bent and still hold their straight shape. The fan itself might be loose and in need of some tightening.
Humming or grinding
The motor might be a little dry. You can prevent this noise by lubricating the motor with a little oil. It is a good idea to oil the motor at the beginning of every summer.
Rattling or vibration
When an air conditioner is working it will vibrate, that is a byproduct of it functioning. Too much vibration can cause screws in the unit and panel to be loosed or fall out. Tighten the screws and this noise should disappear.
Freight train effect
If your air conditioner is just plain loud, so loud it could be a freight train, the coil fins could be the cause. When the coil fins are dirty or bent they will emit a loud humming noise. They will need to be cleaned and straightened out.
Don’t let these noises drive you crazy. A loud air conditioner is not normal. You want your air conditioner running quietly and efficiently. That way your bank account doesn’t suffer nor will you suffer a heat stroke. Call a HVAC specialist at Finken’s to listen to your air conditioner and diagnose it.