Strange sounds coming from your heat pump aren’t just annoying. They can point to major operational problems that can cost you if they go unaddressed. From rattling to grinding and everything in between, an unusual sound coming from your unit is a reason to call for heat pump repair in Santa Monica.
Even if a sound doesn’t seem particularly alarming, anything unusual is a red flag. Keep reading to learn about different heat pump sounds and what they may mean. Then give our team a call to schedule maintenance or repairs for your heat pump.
Rattling or Buzzing
A rattling or buzzing sound usually indicates that something small is loose inside your heat pump. One example of this is a bolt that is not completely secure. It is just loose enough to vibrate against the surface it’s secured to as heat pump operation happens.
Rattling can also indicate that your ductwork is loose. These thin metal sheets can make a gentle rattling sound if they come loose and begin vibrating together as airflow passes through. Keep in mind that ductwork may rattle when it expands or contracts as a part of normal operation.
However, this should only happen for a few seconds at the very beginning of a heating or cooling cycle. Rattling that is persistent and carries on for much longer or happens all the time, is a red flag that your ductwork needs to be repaired. Conditioned air is escaping and may be costing you a lot on your energy costs.
Grinding or Screeching
If you hear a grinding or a screeching sound, this is a more serious metal-on-metal issue with operation. This is common if lubrication begins to dry up in between bearings or if metal pieces are scraping together when they are not supposed to.
Our team may need to re-lubricate components or repair fan blades that are bent out of shape and scraping against the surrounding sheet metal as the fan moves. Keep in mind that if you hear one of these very serious sounds, it’s better to turn your heat pump off completely so that more permanent damage does not occur because of the issue.
Clicking or Humming
These two sounds are common if your heat pump is struggling to turn on or stay on for a cycle. Clicking can indicate that your heat pump is struggling to turn on. Hearing just a few clicks at the beginning of a cycle is normal. But if your heat pump is not turning on or is taking longer to turn on and is clicking persistently, something is wrong that needs to be addressed by a professional.
A humming sound is similar, but it usually originates from the capacitor located on the outdoor unit of your heat pump. The capacitor is a mechanism that builds up energy and stores it during each cycle so that it can provide a necessary power boost for the beginning of each next cycle. When your heat pump is turning on, it requires a little bit of extra energy to get started, and that’s what your capacitor is for.
Without this very important component, your heat pump won’t have enough power to turn on. Humming can indicate that your capacitor is beginning to wear out and may soon need to be replaced. If you take action when you first hear this humming sound, our team can replace your capacitor before it stops working entirely.
Hissing or Gurgling
These sounds usually point to refrigerant problems. This can be very serious for a heat pump since it relies on refrigerant for both heating and cooling your home all year long. Hissing means that there is a leak in your refrigerant lines at the point where the refrigerant is in its gas form.
The gas makes a hissing sound as it leaks out under the high pressure. A gurgling sound means that the refrigerant leak happens in a place where the refrigerant is in its liquid form. It can be very tricky to identify the exact location of a refrigerant leak, but we are up to the task and can help get the leak identified and repaired.
JMS Air Conditioning and Heating has your back. Call us today to schedule an appointment for heat pump repair in Santa Monica, CA!
