Noisy Air Ducts: What’s All the Racket?

Imagine this scenario. You’ve had a hard week at week, you’ve just got home and you’ve been dreaming of kicking back and relaxing from the moment you opened your eyes this morning. You just want a bit of peace and quiet. An escape from the busy world around you. You take your shoes off, grab a beer and slump into your favorite chair. You think about watching a movie, but you grab the book that you haven’t been able to put down recently. It’s sweltering outside, you need the AC to work its magic, so you grab the remote and switch it on. Now it’s time to unwind.

“HMMMMMMMMMM HMMMMMMMMM HMMMMM”. (That’s supposed to represent a loud humming noise coming from the air ducts). What the hell? You can barely hear yourself think, let alone enjoy your book.

You need to get to the bottom of the problem for the sake of your own sanity.

What Could Be the Cause of Your Noisy Air Ducts?

Noisy ducts are something that HVAC cleaning companies such as ours encounter all the time. Sometimes it’s something cleaning related, while other times it might be a sign of something a bit more serious.

Below we’re going to outline some of the more basic things you should check on. Addressing these issues first may significantly reduce the noise. If not, we’re going to discuss some of the more technical issues afterward.

Are Your Air Ducts and Filters Dirty?

Be honest. When was the last time you either had a crack at cleaning your ducts yourself, or typed “air duct cleaning near me” into Google? If it was that long ago that you can’t even remember, dirt and dust could be (at least partially) causing the problem.

If the insides of the ducts and the filters are coated in a thick layer of dirt, it’s much harder for your HVAC system to move air around your home. And when the system has to work harder, it’ll make more noise. So check this first and either give everything a thorough clean yourself, or call us and sit back as we carry out a professional-grade air duct cleaning for you.

Are All Your Vent Dampers Closed?

If they are, open a bunch of them and you’ll probably notice the noise levels go down a few decibels. Like air ducts that are coated in dirt, closing all of the vent dampers at the same time puts extra pressure on the system. The best practice is to leave them all open if you can.

Check None of Your Registers is Obstructed

This is another common reason why a HVAC system is not able to freely circulate air and why it might consequently sound noisy. Check the supply and return registers throughout your home and make sure that you don’t have any furniture or home décor covering any of them. Maybe you recently installed something new, and haven’t realized that you blocked a register until now?

Is Any of Your Ductwork Sagging/Bent/Compromised?

If you have flexible ducts installed, this is another thing to watch out for. Have any of the sections sagged or bent somehow? Or maybe they weren’t installed properly in the first place! While this isn’t going to be something you can remedy yourself, at least you’ll know why your air ducts are making so much god damn noise. Like dirty air ducts, sagging or deformed ducts will make it harder for your HVAC system to circulate air around your home. And as we already know, the harder a system has to work, the more noise it makes.

Checked All of That and Still Have Noisy Air Ducts?

If you’ve had a quick check for all 4 of the aforementioned problems and you don’t think any of them is the issue, there are a number of other things that can cause noisy air ducts.

• Debris in the Ducts – If something has fallen through one of the registers – maybe building materials, a screw, nail or even a child’s toy – it needs to be removed. This might not be something you can do yourself, and you’ll likely need to call a professional air duct cleaning company. (If you’re in Arvada, give us a call!)
• High Static Pressure – Every HVAC system has static pressure, but those that have too much of it are likely to encounter problems with noisy air ducts, as they aren’t able to handle the amount of air that the system is trying to move through them. If this is the problem, a HVAC company may recommend a few different things, including installing more registers, installing larger ducts in some parts of the system, or installing a bypass duct.

An Air Duct Cleaning Service in Arvada You Can Rely On

While we can’t help you in making alterations to your HVAC system, we sure can help you to keep it clean. Not only will that help reduce the amount of noise it makes, but it’ll help ensure your system continues to operate efficiently and extend its lifespan, saving you money.

We’ve been helping home and business owners in Arvada, Broomfield and many other locations take care of their air duct cleaning with our powerful truck-mounted systems for over 40 years. Give us a call today at (720) 419-7792 or contact our air duct cleaning team online to make an appointment.