Hearing weird noises when your air conditioner is on? There's likely something wrong with your unit. If you don’t fix it, it could lead to significant—and expensive—problems eventually. We're going to help you understand what’s occurring with your air conditioner and what you can do to change it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling generally indicates a complication with your refrigerant line. If you can't determine where the noise is originating from, that's alright. A professional can help verify where this noise is occurring. You can read 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 create a noise outside your house. Old ductwork can produce noise inside your house. Browse our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can be caused by 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 more 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. Check out our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A noticeable noise from your outdoor unit can indicate an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Read our loud noise guide for supplementary information.
- Humming - Humming can be related to fan motor issues or a busted relay switch. Read through our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find further information about frequent air conditioning problems on energy.gov
Should I keep using my system 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 difficult to answer this question without looking at your system.
Usually, 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 think there's an issue with your unit. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected expense, it's smart to get problems corrected right away. Getting 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.