Beyond some gentle humming or a series of clicks that signal the beginning or end of a heating cycle, the heat pump in your Las Vegas, NV, home shouldn’t make noises. Any sounds beyond these usually mean bad news. Here are a few troublesome heat pump noises and their likely meanings:
Gurgling
This noise is one of the main signs of a refrigerant leak. If your heat pump’s refrigerant lines suffer any kind of abrasion or corrosion damage, holes may appear. As a result, refrigerant will leak out. Since air will enter the line to replace the gaseous refrigerant, gurgling noises will signal the formation of air bubbles in the lines.
To get rid of this problem, a trained HVAC service technician must remove the air, fix your damaged lines and replace the refrigerant you’ve lost. Refrigerant is a dangerous substance, so do not attempt to do this on your own. Depending on the severity of the overall issue, professionals can do this as part of maintenance or repair services.
Banging
If you hear a banging noise coming from your heat pump, it may mean that one of its fans has come loose and is repeatedly striking a spot in the interior. Another possible explanation is that a chunk of ice has formed inside the system and the fan is hitting it.
Grinding
You may hear grinding noises because the motor bearings in your system are dirty. Alternatively, the system’s evaporator or condenser coils may make grinding or buzzing noises if they have somehow malfunctioned or are full of debris.
If you keep your ears open and your mind alert, you can save yourself a lot of trouble and keep your heat pump in good shape. The tips we just gave you should tell you a bit about what to listen for. Call Aloha Air Conditioning and ask for our heat pump services if anything sounds wrong.
Image provided by iStock
