What are Those Spooky HVAC and Plumbing Sounds in Your Home?
It’s the time of year when homeowners are prepared for a scare. Chances are, however, that your home is not a hotbed of paranormal activity. That strange hissing noise keeping you up at night may just be a basic maintenance problem you need to attend to, not a ghost.
When you hear strange noises in your home, the most important step is knowing how to properly diagnose and handle them. If you’re experiencing some spooky vibes caused by noisy pipes or sudden temperature changes, we advise you to give our team a call for heating and plumbing services here in Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, and beyond!
If you’re hearing spooky sounds coming from your home this Halloween, it’s probably not a ghost, but a sign you need home maintenance or repairs. Call your friends at Southern Air for all your heating and plumbing service needs!
Experiencing Sudden Temperature Changes?
When you feel that chill entering a room, it may cross your mind for a split-second that you just encountered a spooky spirit. Specters aside, it is much more likely that the sudden temperature change is due to pockets of cold and hot air in your home. It is normal to notice a change in temperature throughout your home as the weather cools down. When drafty doors and windows aren’t able to retain heat, a chill can inadvertently creep up. Here’s how you can quickly remedy these irregular chillings.
A good first step to retaining more warmth in your home is by adding weather-stripping or applying a bit of caulk around drafty problem areas. You’ll also want to ensure that the vents and registers in all rooms are open. This—along with keeping your interior doors open—helps warm air circulate throughout your home, getting rid of cold air pockets and making your heating that much more efficient! If taking these steps does not resolve the problem, consider talking to a professional about:
Hearing strange noises coming from inside the house?
If you’re hearing strange noises, don’t freak out yet! Chances are you need a plumber or HVAC technician, not a ghost-busting team. Here are the most common sounds many homeowners hear during the winter:
Plumbing
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Hissing or whistling: If you are noticing hissing or whistling sounds coming from your plumbing system, the problem may be easy to diagnose. There may be a leak somewhere in the water pipes, or that air is escaping from the pressure-relief valve of the water heater. This latter issue can often be resolved by lowering the water heater temperature.
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Banging or clunking sounds: This is most often heard when water faucets are shut off or running. Typically, this can be traced back to the water heater tank, steam heating, or an effect known as “water hammer” that occurs when water is quickly shut off. Try closing a water supply valve just partly. If the sounds stop, that is a good indication that the source of the problem was just the water hammer phenomenon.
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Buzzing or vibrating: If you are hearing an odd type of buzzing noise, then we recommend having one of our plumbers install sound-resilient supports to minimize any pipe noises. For example, you may try pipe mounting clamps, foam pipe wrap under clamps, or neoprene pipe clamps. This will also help isolate the water piping from the structure itself at each attachment point.
No matter what strange plumbing noises you’re hearing this fall and winter, you should always entrust an experienced plumber to work with your pipes, water heater, or faucets. Call Southern Air for plumbing service in Alexandria and Leesville.
Heater
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Rattling or vibrating: This spooky noise might signal that your ductwork is loose—a potential cause for concern. Have an HVAC professional from Southern Air tighten the ducts by screwing in any visibly loose screws. If the sound is coming from the floor, lift the unit up enough to place a rubber pad underneath to minimize any rattling.
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Whistling or hissing: This can signal that there are tiny holes/gaps in the ductwork, or that you have a clogged filter. You can find tiny holes by closely listening to spot the problem area. Or, you can take a different approach to check which of the two is the source of the problem is by pulling the filter out to see if the noise persists. If it does not, it is obvious that the problem is related to the filter. Try switching the filter out with a new one and seeing if that solves the issue.
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Squealing: If you are experiencing this sound, it is a sign that there’s something wrong with the furnace’s motor, belt, or bearing. The good news is that this type of malfunction is not dangerous, just annoying. However, these furnace problems can persist and most likely worsen over time. Unfortunately, this problem can not be remedied without the help of a professional. You will need to call our team at Southern Air for heating repair.
If you are still experiencing ongoing problems with the heating or plumbing in your home, call us today. We are available 24/7 for your emergency and non-emergency needs.
