Furnace Smells & Noises – When to Be Concerned

Furnace season in Omaha is finally here. When you flip on your heater for the first time in nearly a year, you might experience some odors and noises. Not all are something to be necessarily concerned about though. Getzschman Heating & Cooling covers some of the furnace basics, and which noises and odors you should look out for and give concern to.


Furnace Noises

  • Screech – This could be a problem with your motor or fan belt.
  • Chirp – Chirping sounds are fairly common. It’s usually the natural noise of the mechanisms.
  • Rattle – Rattling noises usually happen when the system is cooling down and it’s not generally cause for alarm.
  • Boom – These sounds are usually your ductwork expanding and contracting with the changes in temperatures throughout the seasons. But if this happens and your furnace smells like it’s burning, you might have a dirty burner in your furnace or a defective gas valve.
  • Ping – This sound can also be caused by contracting and expanding ducts.
  • Hum – This is usually a sound that happens when the furnace burner lights.
  • Whine – Whining or odd vibrating noise may indicate a problem with your system. Call in an expert.
  • Crackle – Crackling noises may be the metal parts cooling down after the furnace shuts off.
  • Clunk – Clunking or bumping sounds often means you have a cracked belt.

Related Read: 3 Heating Myths Busted

Furnace Odors

  • Musty – This may be mold and/or mildew buildup in your duct system. One way to get rid of this is to change your air filter and clean the drip pan in your heating and cooling system. Clean using bleach or white vinegar to make sure the area is no longer hospitable to mold growth.
  • Electrical burning – This could be an object in the duct work that starts to smell when it gets overheated. A spill on a register or in the duct work can also cause this type of smell. Go check out your registers for anything unusual and remove them to look for a spill in the duct work. It could also be the furnace motor overheating or a cracked heat exchanger. If you cannot locate a foreign object in the ductwork, call a technician to check it out for you.

If you experience any odd smells or noises that are of concern, call the furnace experts at Getzschman Heating & Cooling today at 402-554-1110.