Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about how to reduce the noise coming from my furnace. Usually there's some steady noise, making it sound kind of like an old locomotive in the distance. Occasionally, it sounds like it's banging around. When that happens I'll open it up and give a little nudge to the motor/blower assembly until it's in a spot where it doesn't rattle so badly. I'll have to do that maybe once a month usually, but sometimes more.
I think my trying to describe it might confuse things, so I took some pictures. It's an older furnace from an Ottawa company that I think no longer exists called "Beach Foundry Limited." There's a service sticker that has a tune up or something done in 1983, so it's at least that old.
Here are the pictures:
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Short of replacing it, does something need to be oiled, adjusted/lined-up, padded... ? to help keep it quiet?
1) first your gas valve you have has not been used since 1972 or before models of furnaces. So it's got to be made before 1972 atleast.
2) The Belt is not lined up with the motor pulley and the blower pulley. It is off set some what. This will cause a pulling of the blower shaft on the bearings of the blower. for short metal sound or grinding of metal on metal.
3) The pulley on the motor seems to be just a little bigger than the standard pulley sizes and will cause the blower to run at a higher R.P.M. than it was designed to run at. This should not be a problem for it will just move more air.
4) The rails at the bottom of the blower housing is not succure at all and it will move back and forth or from side to side to cause a vibration noise when ever it wants to and where it is setting at the minute. Also the rails or the blower is not all the way back in the slot where it should be to make the blower discharge be totally in line with the hole of the furnace to blow the air into the fire chamber. You need to slide it all the way back to make the slide at the bottom to be even and then succure it with some screws or nuts and bolts but do bend the rail back to match the outer rail to take up any gaps.
5) Now I can't touch the belt to see how tight it is but it just look to me it is too tight for the old blower shaft bearings that are worn some and most of the time you can't tighten up the belt properly with out putting pressure on these older bearings. So loosen the belt a little and see it quiten down some.
6) Now to cut down on noise after sucuring the rails that the blower housing is in. You need to put some duct tape on the blower housing rails to act as a cussion for sound when the blower housing rails are slide back in the slot or rail holder. You want about 2 layers of duct tape to be between the floor of the furnace and the blower housing rails for it to sit on. This will cut down on a lot of noise by doing this. Sucure the rails and have the duck tape under it.
If you want to really discuss it post back or e-mail me.
I had a similar problem way back that I caused by over tightening the fan belt and I think compounded by adding grease to the bearings. My diagnosis was that the grease dried up from the furnace burner's heat and caused friction on the bearings. The dried grease and bearing shavings created an abrasive slurry that wore further into the bearings until it ovalled the shaft hole as well as gouged the shaft itself. Thus the banging when the blower starts or stops plus the other noises your furnace has when running.
The remedy will be to replace the fan shaft and the bearings, a fairly easy job. Use the opportunity to clean the fan and the insides of the furnace. Be careful of sharp metal edges. Manufacturers then weren't that careful to remove the burrs.
The bearings are just plain bronze bearings meant to run without any lubrication. A few drops of car engine oil initially perhaps to let the shaft and bearings seat in but that's it. Of course when you replace the parts make sure that the fan belt and motor/fan pulleys are aligned. The belt tension should be provided by the weight of the hinged mounted motor only.
Since that replacement my gas furnace has been running more than 10 years now without trouble
Besides what else has been said you may have 2 oil ports on the motor and if the blower has bearings 2 oil ports on the blower. Consider replacing the unit , you may be operating at 40 - 55 % depending on how it has been maintained and Electrical consumpltion could be reduced 10 - 30 % by new beltless or VS DC motors. New furnaces run up to 94.5 % efficient so you may get allot of savings on a new unit.
Thanks for all the advice, everyone. You're all an amazing font of knowledge! It's all a lot clearer now -- including how old this furnace might really be.
I might be moving in a year or two, so I don't know if I'll replace the furnace despite that being the the most obvious and efficient long term solution. However, out of curiosity, does anyone know the general price range of upgrading a furnace?
Now the price of a up grade of just a furnace. I'm in a """"" low income area of the country / people with no money """"" USA and I would replace it for $1,200.00 to $1,600.00 but it could be a whole lot more in other parts of the country like where you live. Take a different part of the country and get this same job done in Chaima, New Mexico and the price would be about $5,000.00 to $5,400.00 for the nearest dealer in this area would be about 200 mile away. I have a friend that has a cabin up there in the moutains and the bid for a job just like your was the $5,400.00 . Warrenty would be done with a 400 mile round trip with chains on your tires and snow and ice everywhere and you get paid nothing for the trip and service call. If it was me i would want $10,000.00 for that bid. So lest put the range at $1,200.00 to $5,400.00 .
My prices would be called the bottom of the barrel prices if the installation was done correctly. Now you can check with a couple of hvac contractors in your area and they can give you a ideal on cost of this job. Now remember your in one country and I'm in another and prices very greatly.
Now gettin a New one. I think your catching on here.
He's got central AC, too. Might want to upgrade that.
It isn't totally money thrown out the window -- will improve the sale value of the house.
Modern furnae (plural of furnace) tend to be a bit shorter than what that looks like. If the AC works well, might be possible to change the furnace out from under there, and duct up to the AC coil.
He's got central AC, too. Might want to upgrade that.
It isn't totally money thrown out the window -- will improve the sale value of the house.
Modern furnae (plural of furnace) tend to be a bit shorter than what that looks like. If the AC works well, might be possible to change the furnace out from under there, and duct up to the AC coil.
Fortunately, it looks like the cellar isn't full of stuff, and the furnace would be easy to get to it.
Yow, that's a warranty call I don't want. 200 miles one way.
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