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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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1132353 No.1132353 [Reply] [Original]

I'm having an issue with my older furnace. It's making a squeaking sound when the heat is running, but not when the blower is running. I'd like to figure out what it could be, but I don't have any HVAC experience, and so I'm asking here. I'm not sure what information could be helpful (and not really sure what info is useful), but if you ask I can try to get it for you.

>> No.1132380

>>1132353
The furnace shouldn't be on without the blower :/

>> No.1132400

>>1132380
>The furnace shouldn't be on without the blower :/

seriously, why do people like you post here?

>> No.1132403

>>1132400
For my personal comedic relief.

>> No.1132420

>>1132353
Those old natural draft furnaces have very few moving parts. If the heat is on and the blower is not, the only thing powered is the gas valve. sometimes the gas flowing can make a whistling sound but it usually goes away once it gets up to temperature.

Squeaking, to me, suggests that its an on-off sound. If thats the case I have no idea.

The only thing you can do is clean the bastard. Start by shutting off the power to it. Then shut the gas off. Make sure you have some pipe thread sealant and adjustable pliers/pipe wrench. Open the cover that says Climatrol to reveal the burner section. It will be held in with a few screws or wing nuts. To allow it out of the furance you will need to undo the gas pipe from the union above the valve until it is clear of the furnace cabinet. Make note of what wires go where and disconnect them.

Once you have the burner off, clean everything. The burner tubes usually come off easily so you can brush them with a wire brush and also to reveal the small pinhole sized orifices. Find something to fit in the orifice holes to make sure they arent blocked. Be careful not to make the holes any bigger.

Look inside the furance where the burner tubes came out of. Thats the heat exchanger. There should be no holes or cracks in it otherwise you could be pumping CO into your house. If you see cracks, replace the furance.

Put it all back together making sure to use pipe sealant on the gas pipe. Tighten the union. Turn the gas back on and light the pilot. There will be air in the gas line so the pilot might take a while to light. Once the pilot stays on automatically, turn the power back on.

If this didnt fix the problem, get a new furnace. Or just get a new furance anyway because these things are ancient and terribly inefficient. Where I live, if I walk into a house with one of these old furnaces I HAVE TO BY LAW check for carbon monoxide because these things suck so bad.

Good luck. Dont blow yourself up.

>> No.1132482

My mistake, I meant to say if the furnace is running (blower and all) the intermittent squeaking sound happens. If the blower is on alone in system fan mode I don't get the sound. And the noise only starts once it comes to temp.

>> No.1132539

>>1132482
Probably still something with the blower bearings and its only happening when its hot because its expanded.

pull the blower door off and with the power off try and move the shaft around. there should be no movement. if there is, the bearings are shot.

>> No.1132569

Probably the duct work or burner baffles inside the unit. Fan vibration mixed with thermal expansion of the metal. Only way to track it down is by ear and hand/stick. Press on things and see of the pitch changes.

>> No.1132946

If it's a mechanical squeak it'll only get worse. A few years ago I had one that went from intermittent to full on screech. Went to bed thinking that I'd call the furnace man the following afternoon and woke up to a dead furnace and frozen house. I think it was the induction motor...Can't fully remember. It had a shot bearing and was fully seized. The motor housing was pretty hot from a distance. I told furnace man this and he touched it anyway and I could hear his skin like frying bacon lol.

>> No.1133212

>>1132353
squeaking maybe from the blower wheel not lubricated or out of balance. happens over time with dust and such accumulating on the bower cage throws it balance off. could be something as simple as a door not shut completely or screwed tight.

there is no need for you to be messing with the gas line it has nothing to do with a noise what so ever please don't send everyone in the house into a dirt nap.

>> No.1134260
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1134260

>>1132353
>It's making a squeaking sound when the heat is running
You are running out of Zyklon-B OP, it's really important to maintain a convenient dose of it to ensures the filth doesn't make those böring squeaking sounds and blows better.

>> No.1134288

>>1132946
>I told furnace man this and he touched it anyway and I could hear his skin like frying bacon lol.

Lol. Fucking "professionals"

>> No.1135877

Like everyone said blower motor or could be the cells of the heat exchanger I've heard them making noises especially on an older furnace. Could be something or nothing really can't diagnose from here.

>> No.1135925

I have a pump or something on the Co exhaust of my similar unit. Maybe see if that is squeaking if you have one.

Does it go away or change rhythm if you hit the unit while running?

>> No.1135978

Even though it's an older furnace it could still have a forced air blower, in which case the fan for that to be making the noise. Either take one of the panels off and start looking inside of it, or turn it on, let it warm up, and when it starts squeaking switch it straight from heat mode to only fan, if the bearings in the main blower are squeaking while they're hot then it will continue to do so until they cool down, if the noise stops as soon as you turn it from heat to fan then you know it's probably not that main blower