Heater Clicking Sounds: You Might Have Capacitor Troubles

If you’re having problems with your heating system, the issue might be due to a damaged capacitor, especially if you hear clicking sounds from your heater. Clicking heater noises often mean your furnace’s capacitor is failing and not properly regulating electricity to your blower fan. Without a functioning capacitor, your system won’t work at its best and may stop working entirely. Learn more about what a furnace capacitor is and why clicking sounds indicate something is going wrong with your capacitor. 

What Is A Furnace Capacitor?

Your furnace’s capacitor is a small but essential part of your heating system’s performance. This small component is usually mounted on your furnace’s blower fan compartment and is responsible for regulating your furnace motors’ power inputs. Essentially, capacitors control the flow of electricity to key parts of your furnace, such as the inducer and blower motors.

When a furnace’s capacitor starts to break down, your furnace’s power input can fluctuate, resulting in poor performance. Since your blower motor is responsible for circulating hot air into your home, a failing capacitor can harm your home’s comfort. If your capacitor fails, your blower motor won’t be able to receive the jolt of energy it needs to start the fan that sends the hot air into your home. As a result, your home won’t receive the heat it needs to make you comfortable.

Why Does a Clicking Sound Indicate Your Capacitor’s In Trouble?

Due to the importance of your capacitor to your heating system’s performance, it’s critical you know the signs that your capacitor is starting to fail. One of the clearest signs is when your blower motor won’t start and no warm air flows from your vent. While a blower motor that won’t kick on is usually a sign of a bad capacitor, you can often catch the issue before the capacitor goes completely bad by paying attention to the noise your heater makes when the fan turns on.

If you hear your heater clicking when it tries to start, you likely have an issue with your furnace capacitor. Though a single clicking noise when your furnace first starts is okay, you should be concerned if you notice constant clicking. Since constant clicking signals that your capacitor isn’t properly regulating electricity, it’s best practice to turn off your HVAC system and immediately call an HVAC technician to avoid further damage to your system.

How Do You Fix a Bad Capacitor?

Typically, furnace capacitors go bad due to strain on your blower motor or the capacitor’s age. Most capacitors work for around 10-15 years before they need a replacement. If your capacitor is starting to make noises and its age is in that timeframe, a certified HVAC technician can provide capacitor replacement services. 

While older capacitors will need to be replaced, an HVAC technician may simply need to make a quick repair if there’s minor damage to the capacitor. Additionally, an HVAC technician should see if the blower motor is putting the capacitor under too much strain, as it could indicate a broader problem with your HVAC system. As a result, a full system inspection is often a great choice if your furnace’s capacitor goes bad before it reaches its estimated lifespan. 

Since capacitors regulate high-voltage electricity, repairing or replacing them isn’t a DIY job that any homeowner can do. Without the right training, tools, and experience, you could put yourself in major danger by trying to fix a failing capacitor yourself.

Choose Newcomb and Company for Capacitor Repair and Replacement Services in Raleigh

If you’re looking for capacitor repair or replacement services near you in Raleigh, Newcomb and Company can help. Our HVAC technicians regularly perform maintenance and capacitor repairs on heaters to ensure our clients have the heating performance they need over the winter. When your heater’s capacitor is past the point of repair, we can also provide capacitor replacement services to get your furnace back up and running as fast as possible. Whatever your needs, you can trust our team to solve heater clicking and any other issue your system is experiencing.

Learn more about our heating repair and replacement services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us.