Hearing strange noises when your air conditioner is on? There's a strong probability there’s something wrong with your AC. If you don’t pay attention to it, it could lead to major—and expensive—issues eventually. We're going to help you understand what’s occurring with your air conditioner and what you can do to correct it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling generally indicates a problem with your refrigerant line. If you can't pinpoint where the noise is originating from, that's alright. A technician can help verify where this noise is occurring. You can read more information on our gurgling noises guide.
- Crackling - Crackling could come from debris in the unit or aging ductwork. Debris in the outdoor unit will cause a noise outside your house. Aging ductwork can produce noise inside your house. Read our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can be caused by a damanged refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Peruse our hissing noise guide for more on that.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is likely an electrical issue. Read our buzzing noise guide for more information.
- Clicking - Clicking can hint you have a loose part or that the fan is misaligned. You can check out 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 clear noise from your external unit can signal an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Read our loud noise guide for supplementary information.
- Humming - Humming can arise from fan motor issues or a broken relay switch. Read through our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find further information about prevalent air conditioning issues on energy.gov
Should I keep operating my AC 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 inspecting your system.
In most cases, 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 think there's something wrong with your unit. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected expense, it's better to get problems corrected right away. Getting a professional could help lower 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.