Hearing odd noises when your air conditioner is running? There's likely something wrong with your AC. If you don’t pay attention to it, it could lead to extensive—and expensive—issues later. We're going to help you understand what’s happening with your air conditioner and what you can do to correct it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling generally indicates a complication with your refrigerant line. If you can't identify where the noise is emanating from, that's alright. A professional can help determine where this noise is occurring. You can learn more information on our gurgling noises guide.
- Crackling - Crackling could result from debris in the unit or aging ductwork. Debris in the outdoor unit will create a noise outside your house. Old ductwork can cause noise inside your house. Browse our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can be caused by a damanged refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Look through our hissing noise guide for more info.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is probably an electrical issue. Read our buzzing noise guide for additional information.
- Clicking - Clicking can hint you have a loose part or that the fan is misaligned. You can see more information in our clicking noise guide.
- Pulsating - Pulsating can be due to a loose part. Check out our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A loud noise from your outside unit can signal an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Look at our loud noise guide for supplementary information.
- Humming - Humming can arise from fan motor issues or a busted relay switch. Read through our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find additional information about frequent air conditioning troubles on energy.gov
Should I keep operating my air conditioner when it’s making a noise?
There are some cases where you can continue to run your AC, but you do so at your own risk. It's almost impossible to answer this question without inspecting your system.
Most of the time, we recommend shutting off the unit off and bringing in a professional.
When should I do something about the noise?
We recommend calling a professional as soon as you think there's something wrong with your unit. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected spend, it's better to get problems corrected right away. Contacting a professional could help lower future expenses and keep your system running longer.
Not sure if your air conditioner is making any of these noises? Please fill out the form below for a free, in-home consultation.