Hearing weird noises when your air conditioner is on? There's probably something wrong with your system. If you don’t pay attention to it, it could lead to extensive—and expensive—problems down the road. We're going to help you understand what’s going on with your air conditioner and what you can do to fix it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling usually indicates a complication 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 find 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 cause a noise outside your house. Mature ductwork can create noise inside your house. Read our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can come from a leaky refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Check out our hissing noise guide for more info.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is no doubt an electrical issue. See our buzzing noise guide for further information.
- Clicking - Clicking can indicate you have a loose part or that the fan is misaligned. You can check out more information in our clicking noise guide.
- Pulsating - Pulsating can be due to a loose part. Go through our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A loud noise from your external unit can signal an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Check out our loud noise guide for additional information.
- Humming - Humming can be related to fan motor issues or a broken relay switch. Head to our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find additional information about prevalent air conditioning issues on energy.gov
Should I keep running my air conditioner 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 almost impossible to answer this question without looking at 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 an issue with your air conditioner. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected expense, it's better to get problems corrected right away. Contacting a professional could help minimize 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.