A lot of times, you might be able to hear warning signs from your AC that there is a problem before they turn into costly repairs. Yes, that means that those odd sounds you’re hearing could possibly indicate an issue that needs to be addressed by a professional. In fact, an “audible test” is something that you can do to listen out for unusual noises from your unit that might indicate that something is wrong. All Year Cooling and Plumbing is going to dive more into what an audible test is and what kind of noises you can listen out for if you’re doing this kind of test on your AC unit.
Why Should You Listen to Your AC Unit?
Listening to your AC unit can be a good way for you to listen out for any odd noises that might indicate that something is wrong. These warning sounds can give you signs that there is something wrong before you’re left in the dust with a costly repair or a bigger issue because there was no “warning” prior to the issue. Escalated issues often mean that there was a bigger issue at hand, which means that the issue is more costly. Catching problems early on can help to save you money on costly repairs and ensure that you are getting a professional’s help prior to it being an emergency situation. Not only this, but once you have an idea of these warning sounds, it will help in the future for recognizing these sounds and knowing what’s normal and what isn’t normal.
Common AC Sounds You Can Listen Out For
There are many different AC sounds, and they will indicate a potential different issue. AC units are pretty noisy regularly, so knowing what sounds are abnormal can help you find out if something is wrong and what the problem might be. Here’s a list of some of the top AC unit sounds you should watch out for and what problem they could possibly indicate.
This sound is quite recognizable because it can sound much different from regular AC unit sounds, and these noise levels can range from a pretty loud bang or clank. Usually, this sound indicates that there are broken or loose parts inside the unit. Leaving it without repair can cause bigger issues with other areas or more broken parts if it is not addressed quickly.
Screeching
Screeching is typically a noise that is coming from a belt that’s misaligned or motor issues. The bigger issue that can be caused by this is that the belts could potentially break and cause a full motor breakdown, leaving you without AC and with a costly repair.
Humming or Buzzing
Humming sounds or buzzing sounds coming from your AC unit could indicate a few different things, such as failure of the motor, loose wiring, or electrical issues. Electrical issues as a whole can cause safety problems, as well as performance problems within the air conditioning unit.
Clicking
This is one that you have to pay close attention to, because clicking when starting up or shutting down is normal and isn’t a cause for concern. However, if there is a constant clicking sound, then this could indicate that there is an electrical problem.
Hissing
Usually, this sound indicates that there is air escaping from somewhere, like the ducts or refrigerant leaks. Refrigerant leaks can lead to a cooling problem, while air escaping in the duct can lead to efficiency problems.
Silence
Silence when your air conditioner should be running can indicate an issue with the mechanics or electrical portion of your unit. This would indicate that your unit is not working at all when prompted, which can cause insufficient cooling and potentially no air conditioning at all.
How to Do an Audible Test
Doing an audible test is an important part of being a homeowner with an AC unit because it can help you avoid costly repairs and the potential for a larger issue. If you’re looking to conduct an audible test, it’s important to spend about 10 minutes or so just listening to your AC unit. This should be done without any other outside noise, so there is no mistake about what noises are coming from the unit or not. Ensure that you refer to our list of noises to remind yourself of what’s normal and what isn’t normal. Make note of any noises you hear that are abnormal and unexplainable so that you can tell a professional exactly what you are hearing within your unit.
When Should You Call a Professional?
If you have completed an audible test and have made note of any abnormal noises, now it’s time to ensure those noises cannot be addressed by you, the homeowner. For example, things like rattling could potentially be loose screws or something near the unit that is bouncing around it, resulting in the noise. If you’ve looked at every possible area and the noises are still happening and unexplainable, then it’s time to contact a professional like All Year Cooling and Plumbing. We can help to identify any potential problems and do an inspection on your AC unit to see if there are any additional problems that may not have resulted in a noise that you could hear. Doing this ensures that we are getting to the root of any potential problems, to avoid you having worse damage or more costly repairs.
Remember, it’s important to listen to your AC unit frequently so that you can keep an eye on any problems and avoid shutdowns of your unit. When it comes to the Florida heat, we know how important it is to keep you and your family cool in the warmer months, and that’s why these audible tests can be great to do at home. If you’ve done your audible test and heard abnormal noises that need to be addressed, be sure to contact us as soon as possible so that we can get your unit back up and running to full efficiency and avoid worse problems for the unit in the future.