What’s that sound? This is a question no one wants to ask when it comes to their AC, but it happens quite often. Hearing any of these five sounds is a sign you need to call for air conditioner repair.
Before we delve into the sounds to watch out for, it’s important to note what sounds are normal to hear from your AC. These include:
- The whoosh of air. As your AC pushes cool air into your home, it’s normal to hear a steady stream of air.
- Takeoff noises. Like a plane gearing up for a flight, it may be normal to hear your AC gearing up as it starts its cooling cycle.
- Clicking on or off. You may hear your AC clicking gently before it turns on or just before it shuts off. Under normal circumstances, these clicks only last for a few seconds.
Now let’s look at five sounds you should never hear from your AC and what they may mean. If you recognize any of these, please reach out to us for expert assessment.
If you’re reading this, it’s because you already know that ice forming along the indoor evaporator coils of your air conditioning system is a bad thing. We’re glad to hear it. Too many homeowners make the mistake of thinking that ice appearing on the coils is just a normal part of how an air conditioner runs. It’s not. When you see ice or frost on the coils, it means something is wrong with the AC’s ability to draw heat from the air.
When an air conditioner is running, it makes a number of sounds as part of its basic operation: the hum of the motors running the blower fans, the low whirring of the compressor when it starts a cooling cycle, the whoosh of air moving through the ductwork—and the sound of water dripping from the inside unit.
