Other than a gentle hum, sporadic clicking and a swoosh that signals going into defrost mode, your heat pump shouldn’t make noise. Any sounds other than these three should alert Pigeon Forge, TN, homeowners to a potential issue. Let’s talk about a few heat pump noises and the kinds of trouble they might point to.
Hissing
Usually, there’s no single and unique cause for each troublesome noise that a heat pump might make. But hissing and gurgling noises are the exceptions to this rule. When you hear these noises, you can be sure your system has a refrigerant leak.
When gaseous refrigerant flows out of holes in your heat pump’s refrigerant lines, you’ll hear hissing. When air moves in to displace that refrigerant and forms bubbles, you’ll hear gurgling. Since refrigerant is toxic, you should never attempt to stop leaks and refill your system on your own.
Rattling
Rattling noises usually mean that some debris is tumbling around inside your heat pump. Pebbles, twigs, leaves, dirt, acorns and other objects have flown inside and may impede functioning by clogging valves, blocking airflow and preventing the compressor from working to its full capacity.
The best way to remove this noise and handle the issue is to ask HVAC service technicians to clean your heat pump. They can do this for you as part of a maintenance visit, which you should schedule twice every year. You should also clean or replace your heat pump’s filter every 30-90 days.
Banging
The likeliest explanation for rhythmic banging noises is that one of your heat pump’s fan blades has come loose and is now striking some object. This object may be another heat pump component, or it may be a block of ice that has formed improperly in your system.
Homeowners should take action to have a professional inspect their system once they start hearing abnormal noises. Call LB Chase Mechanical to schedule our heat pump repair services today.
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