High pitched noise from furnace blower
twinmom
is the same age. When the blower turns on (whether a/c, heat or just
fan), you can hear a faint high pitched whine coming from each of the air
vents (not the return vents) in the house. It starts the second the
blower turns on and stops as soon as the blower turns off. The closer the
vent is to the furnace, the louder the noise, e.g. our kitchen air vent is
just above the furnace and it is loudest there. We've had the furnace
installer out several times and they say everything is normal. But the
noise is constant and annoying. The high pitched noise goes away when the
furnace panels/doors are removed - particularly, the solid metal panel
that covers access to the fan. The installer cut a new return vent in the
metal duct that drops down next to the furnace unit in the basement
(thinking we just needed to slow down the air flow in the system), but
that did not correct the noise. So he left the panels off the furance and
duct taped an air filter over the opening. I don't think the company
really has any other solution. Any thoughts on how we can get rid of the
noise and get the panels back on our furnace? Is it safe to leave the
panels off and/or will it cause damage to the furnace? I'm pretty hooked
on this temorary fix given that it alleviates the noise, but we can't
leave it like that forever.
-------------------------------------
Twin Mom
Mikepier
wrote:
Sounds like there is a vent that is partialy closed, or fully closed.
Double check if all the vents are opened.
Usually, I get that sound if I close one of the vents in a room that
is suplied by the main trunk line.
twinmom
http://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/High-pitched-noise-from-furnace-blower-571368-.htm
twinmom wrote:
Mikepier wrote:
> On Oct 12, 12:11=A0pm, kjirstingraham_at_yahoo_dot_...@foo.com (twinmom)
> wrote:
>> Our house is 5 years old and we have a trane furnace (80%
>> efficiency) tha=
> t
>> is the same age. =A0When the blower turns on (whether a/c, heat or
>> just
>> fan), you can hear a faint high pitched whine coming from each of
>> the air
>> vents (not the return vents) in the house. =A0It starts the second
>> the
>> blower turns on and stops as soon as the blower turns off. =A0The
>> closer =
> the
>> vent is to the furnace, the louder the noise, e.g. our kitchen air
>> vent i=
> s
>> just above the furnace and it is loudest there. =A0We've had the
>> furnace
>> installer out several times and they say everything is normal.
>> =A0But the
>> noise is constant and annoying. =A0The high pitched noise goes
>> away when =
> the
>> furnace panels/doors are removed - particularly, the solid metal
>> panel
>> that covers access to the fan. =A0The installer cut a new return
>> vent in =
> the
>> metal duct that drops down next to the furnace unit in the
>> basement
>> (thinking we just needed to slow down the air flow in the system),
>> but
>> that did not correct the noise. =A0So he left the panels off the
>> furance =
> and
>> duct taped an air filter over the opening. I don't think the
>> company
>> really has any other solution. =A0Any thoughts on how we can get
>> rid of t=
> he
>> noise and get the panels back on our furnace? =A0Is it safe to
>> leave the
>> panels off and/or will it cause damage to the furnace? =A0I'm
>> pretty hook=
> ed
>> on this temorary fix given that it alleviates the noise, but we
>> can't
>> leave it like that forever.
>>
>> -------------------------------------
>> Twin Mom
> Sounds like there is a vent that is partialy closed, or fully closed.
> Double check if all the vents are opened.
> Usually, I get that sound if I close one of the vents in a room that
> is suplied by the main trunk line.
All of the vents are open. We've also gone around the house and checked
each of the return grills to make sure the sound wasn't coming from a
vibrating fin. No luck. This is definitely a noise coming from the unit
itself that emanates through the ducting and out of each of our air vents.
-------------------------------------
Twin Mom
Vic Smith
What about the other panels?
Always had the noise for 5 years?
Air passage or bearings are the likely culprit.
Depending on frequency, your repairman might not even hear it.
I suppose the load on the blower due to pressure differentials could
cause a bearing to squeal.
Electronics can squeal, but that doesn't seem to fit your problem.
Or maybe some harmonic vibration from a panel, which might be cured by
gasketing material.
The load question might be answered by blocking return vents.
That could duplicate what leaving the panels on creates in terms of
air pressure, though you weren't clear on whether the panels have an
effect on that.
On my furnaces most access panels have no effect on air flow.
Probably not related, but I thought I had a blower bearing going bad
when I had a repairman replace my furnace motherboard.
Wasn't real high pitched, more of a rumbling.
Didn't even mention it to the repairman until he heard it and made an
adjustment with a wrench.
Then I noticed it was gone, and he told me what he did.
Different furnace than yours though.
You might get a different repair man in, or tinker with the panels.
For locating sound sources get a mechanics stethoscope.
They're cheap, and might get you close to the source.
I love this kind of problem, at least when somebody else has it, so
keep us posted.
--Vic
DerbyDad03
Do you have a drop-in filter right next to the blower?
I used to get a high-pitch whistle around the filter slot, which could
be heard in other rooms.
I keep a wedge of wood shoved in the filter slot (on the intake side)
which pushes the filter away from the return trunk and towards the
furnace. Stops the whistle completely.
cjt
indicates to me that it is related to air velocity in the return.
The previous attempt to solve it by cutting a hole in the return
would still leave a narrow "choke-point" for the air to pass through
if it's configured as I visualize from your description.
It seems to me you need to either increase the size of the entire
return (which is what the stopgap solution effectively does), and/or
perhaps muffle that area by stuffing some loose insulation in there
followed by an air filter to make sure it stays in place.
I think the cross-section of the return should be in the same ballpark
as the total of the cross-sections of all the ducts away from the
furnace (although there's significant leeway).
Stormin Mormon
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(like "alt.home.repair", part of "usenet")
parasitically in order to generate free
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Then try to find your way here through proper
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and post the regular way.
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.
"twinmom" <kjirstingraham_...@foo.com> wrote in message
news:5d3fa$4cb48897$45499b77
cl...@snyder.on.ca
wrote:
When we replaced the furnace in my daughter's condo, and relocated
it, the installer recommended the intake plenum (duct) be 15-30%
larger than the outlet. I think we ended up about 20% larger. This was
a Lennox 84? %.
My Tempstar was installed to the original ducting, which appears to be
equal sized, but the total outlet and inlet sizes could still be
different. It whisles when I have the filter out for cleaning
sometimes - but quiets right down when the filter is installed.
hr(bob) hofmann@att.net
>
> - Show quoted text -
Do you think it is an "air whistle" or could the blower motor need
oil???
jamesgangnc
Sounds like there is something in that return ducting that is causing
it. A stray piece of something sticking into the air flow. Or a
small leak. Taking the cover off and puting a filter over that
opening means that almost all the return air is going directly into
the air handler. A stethscope might help you pin it down closer but
I'm thinking you are going to have to open up that return system. How
much of the return system is hard duct verses flex pipe? I'd look in
the hard duct first. Get some metal tape and start sealing seams from
the inside.
Art Todesco
Here's my experience. Yours is probably different, so take it for what
it's worth. I had a furnace blower go bad there the spot welds, holding
the blades in place on the blower wheel, had all loosened up. It
started as a quiet sizzling noise, but got louder and louder as the
days/weeks went by. I was able to quiet it down by reducing the speed
... it was a plain 4 speed motor, not variable speed, like many newer
units. Anyway, I replace the blower wheel. The new wheel ran quiet.
And, once I got the old one out, if I would hold one end with my feet,
and twist the other with my hands, you could definitely hear small
squeaking noises coming from the weld areas. As I said, probably not
the same, but maybe?
cl...@snyder.on.ca
wrote:
I had the same issue with the eductor fan on my Tempstar. Dealer who
installed it had gone T.U. - local dealer had no parts in stock and
I'd have to pay for the parts and labour up front (over $300 IIRC) and
the POSSIBLY get up to $200 back.
I took the fan out and brazed the blower weheel web to the hub. It's
been quiet ever since (about 6? years now)
Handy-Lady
problem until about a year ago, that high pitch noise would occur, so I
being a woman who is handy, simply removed the panel and followed the
noise to the spinning little black wheel, right in front top right side,
when you remove the panel, it had dust in it, so I vacuumed it inside as
best as I could and it's gone. Out kitty litter was in the storage room
where the furnace is and that did the trick. In another home, we had a
similar problem, the high pitch noise, and we noticed that it only
happened when we closed some vents, they were interfering with air flow,
so we opened them up and it fixed the problem. I was on a couple of pages
and saw over and over again, these so-called mechanical "experts" giving
all kinds of stupid suggestions or the old well call a specialist, so then
you have those who did and the supposed mechanical experts either could
not fix it, or in some cases did some really awful patch work, like
cutting holes for extra flow, when vents should have been checked first
that were closed or even worse cases. Sometimes commons sense and some
investigative work is all that is needed, just check it out and surmise
the obvious before calling these people who only want to make money off of
you!
Oh and one more thing, a women can probably fix it without the help of a
man, like I did, my hubby said call a furnace guy, but we have been there
before, these people rip you off and half the time only do a patch job.
10 bucks says I would never have been told it just needed a cleaning, but
since it had never done it before and I do have a kitty litter, that is
where I started...common sense, something most of these so-called experts
don't have and each one I read on other sites, were just that, bone headed
men. Women are far smarter than men and have the common sense they lack,
don't doubt yourselves ladies, but remember, safety first, when you
detect that it needs a cleaning, shut it down and then clean!!
--
Bob F
alarm installed.
trader_4
>
Women are far smarter than men and have the common sense they lack,
> don't doubt yourselves ladies, but remember, safety first, when you
> detect that it needs a cleaning, shut it down and then clean!!
>
> --
it was made yesterday? You related to Muggles?
bob_villain
trader_4
"I simply removed the panel and followed the
when you remove the panel, it had dust in it, so I vacuumed it inside as
best as I could and it's gone. Out kitty litter was in the storage room
where the furnace is and that did the trick."
sense to you.
bob_villain
> On Friday, November 20, 2015 at 7:17:04 AM UTC-5, bob_villain wrote:
> > It's your character flaw (mental defect) that can't handle an anecdotal suggestion by a female. Too bad you can't accept people or their opinions without lashing out in some kind of testosterone tirade! 💩
>
> A suggestion which, by the way, was totally useless:
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
> replying to twinmom, Handy-Lady wrote: