The sound of a screeching furnace is haunting, but if you’re tempted to yank the circuit breaker, don’t give up on your home’s heating system just yet.
Sometimes a simple adjustment by a professional furnace repair technician will stop the noise, and other times, it could be more of a complicated fix.
Bad motor bearings
Think about what causes a screechy or squeaky noise on other items in your home, like a squeaky old door or an old swingset. Rusty hinges, right? And the solution is lubricating the hinges. While a furnace doesn’t have these hinges, what it does have is motor bearings! If you aren’t quite sure what a bearing is, it’s a crucial part of the motor. The bearings help rotate the motor shafts and axles so the motor can run. Did you know that over half of all motor failures are due to bad bearings?
So, if your furnace is screeching, the most feasible solution is to fix the ball bearings by lubricating them. You’ll want a trained technician to do this instead of attempting it yourself. Why? Because not only do you want to make sure that the bearing is covered correctly, your typical WD-40 lubricant is not going to do the trick. Heating and cooling technicians use a lubricant that endures the constant running of the furnace.
Bad belt
Another source of a screeching or squealing noise is a bad belt on the blower fan. A bad belt is pretty likely since the belt has to do a lot of work keeping the pulleys moving to power the blower. The chances it will become worn or loose, especially without regular annual furnace maintenance, are high. And if your belt is indeed worn or loose, that’s a problem you’ll want to deal with right away! Over time, a loose belt will turn the fan less and less, giving you less hot air. A worn belt will break, and that could turn into a freezing-cold winter emergency.
Whether your scary, screeching furnace is making that noise due to the motor bearings or the fan belt, it’s a problem you’ll want to have a Dial One Sonshine heating technician deal with right away! Not only because of the danger of furnace efficiency issues or a total breakdown but also because that spooky noise is undoubtedly driving you crazy!
We have the right solutions to solve any problem your furnace may be having here in Orange County, no matter how hard they are to diagnose. No problem is too “scary” for Dial One! Schedule an appointment online or give us a call: (714) 613-1016