When you’re trying to sleep, the last thing you want is to be kept up by noisy air vents. While all HVAC systems make some noise, you should be hearing the sound of the fan or motor. If you’re hearing an aggravating whine instead, you may have an issue with your air vents.
Many noisy air vent problems can be solved by the homeowner. First, think about whether the noise you’re hearing is new. If it’s been ongoing since you got the HVAC system, you may have too small ducts. If that’s the case, you’ll need an HVAC professional to assess the situation and give you solutions.
On the other hand, if your noisy air ducts are a new development, you may have a simple problem you can solve. Even if it’s a continuing problem, it’s worth your time to try to troubleshoot the problem yourself before you call in the experts.
Noisy Air Duct Troubleshooting List:
- Check your filter in your return vent. If your filter is dirty, it can block airflow and create noise. If it’s not properly seated in the opening, it can leave gaps that air whistles through.
- Make sure all your supply vents are open. Closing off the supply vents that release air into your living spaces doesn’t really save energy. While it does put out less air into your home, disturbs the balance between air going into the system and air coming out. As a result, you have a less efficient system and sometimes a noisier one as well.
- Inspect your vents for little objects that may have fallen in and caused an obstruction. This is less likely if all your vents are overhead, but floor and baseboard vents are notorious for getting small objects trapped in them.
- Remove any furniture or other objects that might be blocking airflow to your vents.
If you’re still hearing noisy vents after trying these solutions, it’s time to call in a professional.
For more tips on how to deal with noisy air vents or other HVAC issues in the Portland area, contact Roth Home & Cooling. Keeping your home air quality at a comfortable level is an important part of being a homeowner, but it can be difficult to know exactly where the problem is coming from. Our Portland heating and air conditioning technicians have decades of experience working on all manner of HVAC systems and will work with you to make sure that your home's climate control systems are running at peak capacity. Call us at (503) 673-6394 today to schedule a service.
