Hearing odd noises when your air conditioner is working? There's probably something wrong with your system. If you ignore it, it could lead to major—and expensive—problems eventually. We're going to help you find out what’s going on with your air conditioner and what you can do to change it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling usually indicates an issue with your refrigerant line. If you can't pinpoint where the noise is emanating from, that's alright. A technician can help determine where this noise is occurring. You can learn 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 cause noise inside your house. Browse our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can be created by a leaky refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Look through our hissing noise guide for more on that.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is no doubt an electrical issue. See our buzzing noise guide for additional information.
- Clicking - Clicking can hint you have a loose part or that the fan is misaligned. You can find more information in our clicking noise guide.
- Pulsating - Pulsating can come from a loose part. Check out our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A noticeable noise from your external unit can indicate 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 more information about frequent air conditioning troubles on energy.gov
Should I keep running my system 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 hard to answer this question without examining your system.
Most of the time, we recommend shutting down 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 unit. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected expense, it's better to get problems fixed 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.