Hearing odd noises when your air conditioner is on? There's probably something wrong with your unit. If you don’t fix it, it could lead to extensive—and expensive—issues eventually. We're going to help you figure out what’s occurring with your air conditioner and what you can do to change it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling usually indicates a problem with your refrigerant line. If you can't determine 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 come from debris in the unit or aging ductwork. Debris in the outdoor unit will generate a noise outside your house. Old ductwork can produce noise inside your house. Browse our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can come from a faulty refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Check out our hissing noise guide for more on that.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is likely an electrical issue. Check out our buzzing noise guide for further information.
- Clicking - Clicking can mean you have a loose part or that the fan is misaligned. You can find more information in our clicking noise guide.
- Pulsating - Pulsating can be due to a loose part. Take a look at our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A loud noise from your outdoor unit can mean an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Read our loud noise guide for more information.
- Humming - Humming can begin with fan motor issues or a busted relay switch. Head to our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find additional information about common air conditioning issues on energy.gov
Should I keep operating my system when it’s making a noise?
There are limited 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.
Most of the time, we recommend shutting off 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 something wrong with your system. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected expense, it's better to get problems fixed 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.