Why Does My Furnace Sound Like Running Water?

Lots of heating systems can make noises, like gurgling or knocking sounds coming from a boiler or radiator.

Old furnaces rarely made running water or gurgling noises because there was no condensation or liquid involved.

Today, newer and high-efficiency furnaces produce condensation, which is why your furnace may sound like there’s running water somewhere.

The sound of running water coming from your furnace doesn’t always mean there’s a problem, but you should have it checked out by a licensed heating technician as soon as possible to avoid extensive damage to your HVAC system.

If you need furnace repair or service in the St. Louis metro area, contact Metro Heating & Cooling today.

What To Do When Your Furnace Makes Running Water Sounds

Your furnace should operate relatively quietly if nothing is wrong. For your quality of life and to make sure you don’t have a major heating problem developing, you should always ask a heating expert to troubleshoot the water sound.

First, though, there are some things you can do to troubleshoot the cause of the noise yourself:

• Look for a leak or spilled water: This could be a puddle around the condensate pump, which can occur if the drain pan has perhaps been knocked askew and is dumping water onto the ground.
• If possible, try to unclog the drain pipe and reposition the drain pan: This will ensure the liquid can properly flow (usually to a white pipe).
• Identify where the running water noise is coming from: For example, running water that sounds like it’s coming from the walls can indicate a condensation problem in your ducts or other infrastructure. Get a professional furnace inspection soon to prevent moisture damage and detect HVAC problems.
• Consider if anything else could be making that sound: If you can’t determine what area or which component of the furnace the noise is coming from, try to find out if the noise is coming from somewhere else. For instance, do you have baseboard heating or a hot water tank that might be malfunctioning?

Is your furnace making running water noises or other sounds? Contact Metro Heating & Cooling to schedule an inspection in your St. Louis-area home.

How To Stop Your Furnace’s Running Water Noise

As you troubleshoot, remember that a noisy furnace can turn into a bigger issue. The furnace might be working fine otherwise, but the condensation problem or leak could be slowly ruining parts and leading up to a major, and more expensive, breakdown.

If these steps don’t stop the noise, if you notice rust or damaged parts on the furnace, or if you have any other furnace issues like clicking sounds or burning smells, schedule a maintenance inspection right away.

In St. Louis, we’ve been helping customers with honest advice and quality furnace repairs for over 40 years. Contact us today to schedule service and get your noisy furnace fixed.