There’s nothing like the high-pitched whine of noisy air vents to set your teeth on edge. There are several reasons why you might be hearing this noise. Some are fixable at home while others require an HVAC professional.
Noisy air vents are typically caused by something obstructing the air flow into or out of your vents. Your system works best when there is a balanced amount of air coming and going. If too little air is being pulled into your ducts or being pumped out, your system will tell you all about it with that annoying whine.
If you have never had a problem with noisy air vents before, follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:
- Track down the vents where the noise is coming from if you can.
- If it’s a return vent that sucks air up into it, it should have a filter. Check the filter to see if it’s dirty or if it’s not properly installed. Dirty filters obstruct air flow while off-kilter filters let just enough air by to create a whistling noise.
- If it’s a supply vent, make sure it’s in the open position. Check your other supply vents to be sure they are open, too. Modern HVAC systems are actually more efficient when all vents are open and they’re able to balance the overall air volume in your home.
- Look around the vent and make sure there’s nothing obstructing it like furniture, curtains, etc. If something looks like it could be blocking air flow, move it to see if that makes a difference.
- For vents that are close to or on the floor, check to see if any small objects or obstructions may have fallen into the vent.
If you’re still hearing noisy air vents after you’ve followed these steps, or if the air vents have always been noisy, it’s time to call an HVAC technician. You may have undersized ducts or obstructions too far into the ductwork for you to locate by yourself.
For more tips on fixing noisy air vents or other HVAC problems in the Coastal Bend area, contact Mathews CCAC today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about noisy air vents and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.
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