Heating ducts are an integral part of your heating system: carrying warm air from a central unit throughout your entire house. Here in West Chester, OH, heating in many houses depends on a reliable system of ducts. While a certain amount of noise is expected in such a system – with fans blowing and motors running to carry the air through the ducts – you may hear noises that don’t constitute a normal part of the system’s operations. They usually mean trouble, and you should probably turn off your heater and call a repair service as soon as you hear them. But what are the causes of noisy ducts?
In some cases, the noise may not originate in the ducts at all. The system can carry sound as well as air, and noises such as grinding, humming, rattling, sparkling or clanging may actually be coming from the heater itself. (The causes are numerous, ranging from a bent fan bade to a loose electrical wire.) But in those cases, you shouldn’t look for the causes in the ducts: they’re just carrying the noises, not creating them.
Sounds that originate in the ducts tend to be caused by a breach or leak somewhere. In those cases, air gets pulled out or pulled into the ducts from the outside, which can create an odd noise such as a humming or a vibrating noise. Sudden damage will create a loud noise of course, but that usually doesn’t repeat itself (and may involve damage to more than just the ducts). It’s also possible that the ducts will groan or make similar noises when you first turn on the heater: stretching a bit as the warm air travels across the cool metal.
Regardless of the causes of noisy heating ducts, you should contact an expert to see about addressing the situation. Call the West Chester, OH, heating professionals at Bartels Heating & Cooling. We pride ourselves on reliability and our trained staff is dedicated to your 100% satisfaction.