Hearing odd noises when your air conditioner is working? There's likely something wrong with your system. If you don’t fix it, it could lead to extensive—and expensive—troubles later. We're going to help you find 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 originating from, that's alright. An expert 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 cause a noise outside your house. Aging ductwork can create noise inside your house. Browse our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can be created by a leaky refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Peruse our hissing noise guide for more on that.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is likely an electrical issue. Check out our buzzing noise guide for more information.
- Clicking - Clicking can hint 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 come from a loose part. Go through our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A noticeable noise from your external unit can signal an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Check out our loud noise guide for supplementary information.
- Humming - Humming can begin with fan motor issues or a busted relay switch. Check out our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find more information about common air conditioning issues on energy.gov
Should I keep running my AC 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 hard to answer this question without examining your system.
Usually, we recommend shutting down 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 recognize there's something wrong with your system. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected spend, it's best 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.