Since temperatures are dropping in many parts of the United States, the last thing that you want is for your furnace to start giving you problems. Still, most issues with residential heating systems are not completely a surprise; in many cases, you'll hear one of the four sounds listed below before you start to notice issues developing with your system. If your unit is working perfectly, the only thing you should hear is a gentle clicking as your system turns on and off, so if you hear anything else, contact an HVAC company to schedule a furnace repair service immediately.

Clicking

As mentioned above, a clicking sound when the system turns on and off is completely normal, so if your system is making a constant clicking sound while it's supposed to be in operation, that means that it's having a hard time turning on and staying on. If left unchecked, this can burn up the motor and cause you to eventually replace the entire system, so it's a good idea to have this looked at by a residential heating technician as soon as you can.

Whining

The high-pitched whining sound coming from your furnace usually only means one thing: a faulty belt. As the unit ages, the belt will begin to wear down, and you'll notice a significant drop in the efficiency of your furnace. When it snaps, it may refuse to blow hot air throughout your house, even though the motor itself is working perfectly fine. It's a relatively simple job, but accessing the area where your fan belt is can be a challenge, so you'll need a professional to replace it for you.

Hissing

If you hear a hissing sound coming through your air vents, your first guess should be a leak of some kind. Whether that's in the ductwork or in the actual unit, air is escaping somehow and will cause your energy bills to skyrocket. If your home runs on gas, you should be especially concerned, since that hissing sound could be the sound of natural gas emanating inside your home. Either way, you should contact an HVAC company to have it looked at to make sure everything is safe.

Clinking

The sound of metal rattling around inside your air vents could be something as small as a bolt that has fallen off one of the screws, or it could be a piece of metal from the motor that has been chipped and is rattling around inside your air vents. Regardless, it needs to be replaced before it causes major issues, potentially even resulting in scratches on the inside of your furnace and causing it to malfunction. While you may be tempted to climb up in your ductwork and inspect it for yourself, if the problem is larger than you think, you'll be glad you have someone who specializes in residential heating systems to help you.

For more information about residential heating repair, contact a local company, like Central York Corp.