Hearing weird noises when your air conditioner is on? There's probably something wrong with your unit. If you don’t pay attention to it, it could lead to major—and expensive—troubles later. We're going to help you figure out what’s occurring with your air conditioner and what you can do to fix it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling usually indicates an issue with your refrigerant line. If you can't identify where the noise is coming from, that's alright. An expert can help verify where this noise is occurring. You can learn more information on our gurgling noises guide.
- Crackling - Crackling could come from debris in the unit or aging ductwork. Debris in the outdoor unit will generate a noise outside your house. Mature ductwork can cause noise inside your house. Check out our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can come from a damanged refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Peruse our hissing noise guide for more information.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is no doubt an electrical issue. Read our buzzing noise guide for more 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 come from a loose part. Check out our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A clear noise from your outside unit can mean an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Look at our loud noise guide for additional information.
- Humming - Humming can begin with fan motor issues or a broken relay switch. Read through our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find further information about common air conditioning problems on energy.gov
Should I keep operating my system when it’s making a noise?
There are a few cases where you can continue to run your AC, but you do so at your own risk. It's difficult to answer this question without inspecting your system.
Most of the time, we recommend shutting down the unit off and contacting a professional.
When should I do something about the noise?
We recommend calling a professional as soon as you recognize there's a problem with your unit. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected cost, it's smart to get problems taken care of 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.