Soundproof Your HVAC: No More HVAC Noise

When the summer heat and humidity settle in and your cooling system is running day and night, you don’t want to have to deal with excessive HVAC noise. While a quiet hum from the equipment and low-level air movement sounds are expected, loud noises are disruptive and annoying. Here’s what may be necessary to soundproof your HVAC system and lessen noises like these:

Banging and Popping in the Air Ducts

Since metal ducts expand and contract, it’s normal that some noise is produced as the ducts cool down and heat back up in between cycles. However, loud noises should be investigated to find the source so appropriate measures can be taken to lower the volume, such as:

• Fixing damaged or sagging ductwork sections
• Sealing then wrapping accessible ducts in noise-deadening insulation
• Adding duct silencers
• Installing insulated spacers to keep duct sections from touching framing members

Loud Whooshing Air Sounds

If you’re getting excessive noise from the air vents, it may be a warning sign of high static pressure in your HVAC system. High pressure does more than just produce annoying noise – it also results in airflow problems that can harm the equipment and shorten its lifespan. Diagnosing the cause of a static pressure issue requires investigation and testing. To solve it, your HVAC pro may need to:

• Adjust the blower fan speed
• Replace undersized ducts
• Improve the amount of return airflow
• Install “high velocity” supply and return registers/grilles
• Reconfigure/replace a portion or all of the duct system

Bad Vibrations

Vibrations originating from the air handler and blower unit can transfer through the ductwork and produce noise at the air vents throughout your home. An experienced technician can investigate and offer recommendations on how to minimize these irritating sounds, such as adding anti-vibration pads or mounts, or a noise-reducing blanket.

These solutions are also effective options for quieting the noise produced by an excessively-loud outdoor unit, so it doesn’t affect your family’s enjoyment of the backyard, patio or deck.