HELP !!! We have a Gas forced air furnace. We live in a ranch style house with no basement, just a crawl space. The furnace is located in a "closet" in the kitchen. The cold -air return vent is on the wall in the living room and directly goes to the furnace on the other side. It is EXTREMELY NOISY ! When it comes on the blower noise is bad enough, but when the burner starts too it sounds like an airplane. Sometimes the furnace also goes through a strange cycle..blower,burner/blower,blower,then right back into the burner/blower stage without ever shuting off. It is a RUUD brand and I think a Silhouette II model. I'm at a loss of what to do to QUIT it down !!! Without tearing it out and replacing it. It is only 5 years old ! But I sure can't stand this for another 20 years !!! HELP !!!! Any ideas??????

 

Hello Mcsassy. Welcome to the Heating and Cooling Appliance forum and the Do-It-Yourself Web Site.

The problem, as I see here, is determining exactly what type of noise your describing and exactly what is causing.

Noise can be generic or specific. Be this I mean fan noise because the fan motor is spinning to fast {as in a rush of air with lots of force} or the noise is related to mechanical noise....parts wearing out, like bushings and or bearings, etc.

Kindly describe the exact type of noise from the fans blower motor only.

Then describe any noise heard from the power vent fan, {If equipped with one} which turns on first. The power vent fan is a small fan just below the flue vent inside the furnace behind the outer removable decorative cover.

The other problem is the cycling of the burners and or the fan. This type of problem may be more serious. You'll have to watch the furnace and note the process of each cycle and determine each cycles order of operation.

Once you have this info. post back the findings here. Use the REPLY button each time so the information exchanged can remain within your orginal topic and we all can follow along.

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I've been trying to monitor my noisy furnace and find a better way to describe the noise ! Here goes :The blower starts first with a high pitched whirring noise as it speeds up. Then the burners kick in ; they are so loud that you would think you are sitting right next to the furnace when in fact I'm in another room,past another plastered wall 20' away. Then the blower goes into a higher speed pushing the warm air through the vents. The cold air return is directly on the back side of the furnace =opening into the living room. It is HUGE ...2' x 18" This is all very annoying...conversation and any other noise is drowned out by the furnace running. The furnace is a RUUD - Silhouette model. It is in a closet with louvered doors. Can we put solid doors on to help reduce the noise? What can I do...other than buying a new furnace ????? Thanks

 

First off, I would check the bearings on the squirl cage blower. While in there, check to see if it has a lubrication fitting on the blower bearings or motor itself. The second thing that might help is to place an air filter inside that 2'X 18" vent. A HEPA pleated paper filter should damper the noise without restricting airflow. This is something that you would have to experiment with and probably change the filter anually.

 

those model furnaces are notorious for being noisy..not much you can do to the furnace...you could try some type of sound deading insulation material around the walls of the furnace...DO NOT REPLACE THE LOUVERED DOOR WITH A SOLID DOOR THIS COULD CAUSE MANY PROBLEMS WITH COMBUSTION AND AIRFLOW...

 

Sounds to me as if your induced draft motor is making noise really can be bad look to your local dealer (Johnstone supply sells local to public) for new inducer motor

 

I want to Thank Everyone for your responses to my questions about my noisey furnace,BUT I have more !!!! I will try all the previous suggestions,but I still need a bit more help. The furnace is in a "closet" in the kitchen with the hot water heater. There is a direct opening to the crawl space in the floor of the closet about 10" x 4" . Would this provide enough fresh air to the furnace for proper combustion?? Then could I put some kind of sound deadening insulation inside the closet to try to reduce the noise? And put solid doors on the closet instead of the louvered??
If I put solid doors on,would I need to make the floor vent in the closet larger?? I'm willing to try anything !! This noise is unbearable !!! Thanks

 

Have the furnace checked out. I'm assuming that the furnace has not been this loud in the past, as per your statement that the furnace is only 5 yrs. old. But furnaces in closets, with a return at the closet are always very loud and there is not much you can do about it, other than to relocate it or upgrade to high eff.

 

ARE THERE ANY FURNACE FILTERS THAT WOULD DAMPPEN THE SOUND? WE JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS BUILDING WHICH WAS REHABBED WITH HEIL FURNACES. ON THE SECOND FLOOR WE HAVE THE UNIT IN A CLOSET JUST LIKE THE SITUATION YOU HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING. BOTH UNITS ARE NEW. IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT PERHAPS THE INDUCER MOTER CAN BE REPLACED. IS THIS A MAJOR JOB? ANY ADVICE WILL BE APPRECIATED.

 

dds68:
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