It can be disturbing and maybe even a little scary when you hear noises coming from your HVAC unit, and you’re not sure what they mean. The uncertainty is what really bothers you because those noises might amount to nothing – or they might mean a total breakdown is imminent. The main thing to remember about such sounds is that they shouldn’t be ignored, because even if they don’t signify a major problem now, they could be caused by something which will develop into a major problem in the near future.

Unless you’re knowledgeable about heating and cooling systems, the safest thing to do is take note of the kinds of noises you hear and pass that along to your expert neighborhood heating and cooling contractor. If you happen to live in the area around Phoenix, Gold Canyon, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, or Chandler, that would be Bruce’s Air Conditioning and Heating.

Here’s what some of those noises mean, so you can discuss it with your HVAC specialists:

Clicking – it’s normal for the electrical components in an HVAC system to click during startup or shut down, but when it happens during operation, it could mean that you have a defective control or thermostat because constant clicking is not normal.

Clanking – this is generally a sign of a loose part or one that’s somehow out of balance. Sometimes it’s an indication that components within the sealed unit are failing, and sometimes it also means that the compressor has become loose. In still other cases, the blades of either the indoor blower or the outdoor fan may have gotten out of balance, and are striking other parts.

Banging – this is a pretty clear sign that some component or other is loose and is knocking against the frame or another part. Likely culprits are the crankshaft, the piston pin, or the connecting rod within the compressor of the air conditioning unit. It can also mean that your indoor blower is out of balance, or that your compressor is due for replacement.

Buzzing – there are a number of causes of buzzing from your outside unit, including debris, loose fan blades, failing condenser coil, clogged air filter, blower out of balance, refrigerant leaks, loose parts, or a loose outdoor fan motor.

Squealing – squeaks and squeals are generally transmitted by ductwork, but their actual sources are probably the outdoor fan motor or the indoor blower motor, both of which make loud squealing noises when they’re going bad. The blower wheel also makes a high-pitched squeaking noise when it begins to malfunction.

Humming – this is one of the less serious noises associated with your HVAC unit, but it can still mean that something is off internally. If ignored, it could lead to a more serious issue, so it should be checked out anyway.

Chattering – a chattering or rattling type of noise is usually a sign that your air-conditioning unit is beginning to go bad, and one or more parts are loosening. It can also sometimes mean that twigs, leaves and other debris have gotten inside your air-conditioning unit and clogged it.

Screaming – this is a fairly serious indication, and if you hear this, you should immediately shut the air conditioner off. The most likely cause of a screaming noise is a refrigerant leak, which in the early stages will affect performance, and in later stages can seriously damage the air conditioner.

Everyone has felt the effects of excessive humidity in the summertime, and how it can make hot weather seem even hotter. It’s not too hard to understand them, how high humidity can have a really significant impact on your air-conditioning system. But did you know that humidity can also affect your heating system just as significantly? That’s why the most modern HVAC systems usually include humidifiers and dehumidifiers, which serve to manage the level of relative humidity in your home.

Humidity and Your Air Conditioner

All air-conditioner function by extracting heat and moisture from the air inside your home, and when humidity levels are extremely high, it forces them to work much harder at their job. If your air conditioner lacks the capacity to sufficiently cool your home, it may not be able to handle the high level of humidity, which means the occupants inside the home will probably always feel somewhat uncomfortable.

For the most part, your air-conditioning system can handle normal humidity, but when the humidity gets really high, the vast majority of systems simply can’t manage it. That level of humidity literally negates the cooling effect that your air conditioner would otherwise provide, and the net result to home residents will be that the air feels warmer than it really is. In effect, your air-conditioning unit will be working harder but providing far less comfort.

Humidity and Your Heating System

As mentioned above, humidity impacts your heating system just as much as it does your cooling system – but in the opposite way. Typically during the wintertime, humidity levels get extremely low, and that low relative humidity is felt inside the home, making the air seem cooler than it really is. Your furnace or heat pump will have to work a lot harder than it should, but it still may not make you feel warm and cozy inside the house. When humidity falls below 50%, the temperature as it is felt by household occupants, will almost always feel much lower than it actually is.

Humidity and Humidifiers/Dehumidifiers

The most effective method for dealing with low humidity in the wintertime is to install a humidifier, which can be coupled right to your HVAC system to add moisture before it is circulated throughout the home. In the summertime, a dehumidifier can be very effective at extracting excess moisture from the air, and can also be coupled directly to your HVAC system. When either a humidifier or dehumidifier is attached to your HVAC system, they can make your unit much more effective at maintaining indoor air quality, and reduce stress on the HVAC system itself.

Local Air Quality

Anyone residing in the region around Scottsdale, Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa or Chandler is probably aware of the high-temperature potential in the warm season, and when that’s accompanied by high humidity, it can really put a strain on your air conditioner. To find out if your heating and cooling systems might benefit by the addition of a humidifier or dehumidifier, or if the HVAC systems themselves might be ready for an upgrade. contact your local heating and cooling specialists at Bruce’s Air Conditioning and Heating.

There are times when most homeowners have considered the possibility of moving their HVAC equipment, usually the air conditioner, to a new location around the property. Believe it or not, there are quite a few reasons why you might want to do this, starting with enhancing the exterior attractiveness of your home, by re-positioning it out of sight.

Then too, your HVAC unit may be in the direct line of new fencing you want to put up, or it may be obstructing some landscaping features you’re adding outdoors. You might also be remodeling or adding on to your home, or you might need to comply with new building codes that recently came into effect. You might want to avoid harming children or pets who play around it, or it might be too close to a dryer vent.

It’s even possible that you’re trying to reduce the risk of theft to some of the valuable components of your outdoor air conditioner or rooftop air conditioner and HVAC unit, and you want to move the air conditioner to a more secure location. But now that you’ve decided to relocate your HVAC unit – how hard will it be, can you really do it yourself, and whoever moves it, what will it cost you?

Difficulties of Relocation

One of the biggest problems with relocating your HVAC unit and moving air conditioner is that the refrigerant line must not be bent at any kind of severe angle, because that would likely create a leak in the line, so great care must be taken. Prior to relocation, all the refrigerant in the system would have to be pumped out, and then the copper lines would have to be either replaced or welded to whatever length was necessary to accommodate the new position.

The lines must then be reconnected to the unit, and the refrigerant would have to be pumped back in. Any moisture or air in the lines would have to be vacuumed out, so they don’t prevent the circulation of the refrigerant. When new lines are run, you should be very careful not to extend them beyond the unit’s capability to pump refrigerant effectively, and this means that any inclines must not be too severe.

New thermostat wiring would have to be run and secured to the unit, and new wiring would have to be run to the disconnect box. The copper lines would have to be insulated and a protective cover placed over the line set, so doesn’t become an eyesore or a hindrance to traffic around the house. Last but not least, the new position of the HVAC unit has to be re-leveled, and the whole system has to be restarted.

Relocation Cost

What all of this amounts to in terms of cost, could approach $1000, so if your HVAC relocation is part of a remodeling or new addition project, make sure to budget for this extra cost of relocation. Can you do all this yourself? Even the handiest do-it-yourselfer types would find many of these tasks a bit beyond their knowledge or experience. If you feel comfortable carrying out all of them yourself, it’s certainly do-able, but keep in mind that when all is said and done, you’re going to want an air conditioner which still operates at peak efficiency, and provides the same indoor air quality that you had before the move.

You won’t want to be without heating or cooling service like ac repair in Chandler, especially around Arizona, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa, or Phoenix, so if you really need to have your HVAC unit relocated, your best bet is probably to leave it to the experts – like Bruce’s Air Conditioning and Heating.