Hearing odd noises when your air conditioner is on? There's a strong probability there’s something wrong with your system. If you ignore it, it could lead to major—and expensive—issues later. We're going to help you understand what’s occurring with your air conditioner and what you can do to fix it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling generally indicates a complication with your refrigerant line. If you can't identify where the noise is originating from, that's alright. A professional can help determine where this noise is occurring. You can find more information on our gurgling noises guide.
- Crackling - Crackling could be due to debris in the unit or aging ductwork. Debris in the outdoor unit will cause 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 leaky refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Peruse our hissing noise guide for more info.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is likely an electrical issue. Check out our buzzing noise guide for further information.
- Clicking - Clicking can hint you have a loose part or that the fan is misaligned. You can see 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 external unit can signal an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Read our loud noise guide for additional information.
- Humming - Humming can be related to fan motor issues or a damaged relay switch. Head to our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find additional information about frequent air conditioning problems on energy.gov
Should I keep running my air conditioner 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 calling a professional.
When should I do something about the noise?
We recommend calling a professional as soon as you recognize there's an issue with your air conditioner. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected spend, it's smart to get problems corrected right away. Contacting a professional could help minimize 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.