How to Reduce Air Conditioner Noise

An air conditioner is an excellent lifesaver during winter or summer. However, with time, either due to age or damage to the components, your AC might become noisy. Essentially, a noisy air conditioner causes more discomfort than comfort. When the noise levels get to the worst, you might start thinking about replacement or completely scrapping the whole unit. However, with simple tips and tricks, your air conditioner can keep your home comfortable while running more quietly. In this article, you will learn how you can quiet your air conditioner at virtually no cost. The types of air conditioners covered here include:

• Window air conditioner
• Indoor air conditioner
• Outdoor air conditioner

Quieting a Window Air Conditioner

Usually, if you are experiencing noise problems from a window air conditioner, the most probable cause is the gaps and spaces left unblocked around the unit. Essentially, these gaps introduce the noise from the outside environment, and then your air conditioner’s component transfers it to your indoor environment. To fix the problem, seal the spaces surrounding the unit that might allow the noise into your house.

In essence, you will be blocking the noise produced by your air conditioner from entering your home or office. Typically, you could place an insulation foam around the air conditioner frame. For this kind of sound blockage, use about two inches of insulation thickness. Insulation foam is a great way to quieten a window air conditioner.

It is easy to install and can also be removed very easily during air conditioner removal or repair. You could also use an acrylic material of similar measurement to block the openings. With an acrylic sheet, the air conditioner can sit squarely against the available space and prevent any movement that could cause more noise. Additionally, you could procure a special type of acrylic window with internal tubing for noise blockage and absorption.

What Else Can I Do to Quieten My Window Air Conditioner?

Try to push your air conditioner to see if the unit fits tightly within the frame. Here, you will be evaluating your unit for any loose screws. Loose screws are bound to cause increased noisy vibrations when the unit is running. If you find any loose screws, tighten them and ensure that the air conditioner sits squarely within the frame.

Ensure that your fan’s blades are straight and are working appropriately. Rotate the fan using your hand to determine whether the blades could touch other components during operational rotation.

Check for debris or objects that might be stuck around the fan. Typically, debris can cause your fan to become imbalanced and touch other components during rotation.

Also, lubricate the fan’s motor if you observe noises that indicate high friction. A well-lubricated fan motor will run more quietly and last longer.

Lastly, dust off the coil fin that sits at the back of the air conditioner. This will help to reduce the noise that comes from your AC.

Quieting a Noisy Indoor Air Conditioning Unit

A noisy indoor air conditioning unit can be the worst component of your living or working environment. You will experience disruption in concentration, communication, and sleep patterns. In most cases where a noisy indoor air conditioning unit is the problem, the guilty culprit is the blower fan motor.

Essentially, the blower fan is responsible for the collection of the warm air inside your house. It is also the component responsible for getting the cool air into your home. Apart from the blower, your unit can also generate noise due to a faulty switching process in the compressor. Faulty switching is characterized by on and off sounds in the compressor. To limit the noise from your indoor unit, you can use a soundproof material such as an MLV – a Mass Loaded Vinyl.

However, you can only limit this noise if your indoor unit is placed in a different room that is not frequently used. An MLV is attached to the wall to prevent the noise from passing over to your room.

Changing the location of the unit to a rarely used room is another way of minimizing noise. It is always advisable to keep your indoor air conditioner away from low-traffic areas. Apart from the noise that comes from internal failures, the normal vibration of the AC could also be troublesome. Therefore, it is advisable to keep your indoor air conditioner in secluded locations.

Also, install the air conditioner away from air ducts to prevent the production of an echo. If you have tried all the above tricks to no avail, it is always a great idea to contact the experts. You can visit Air Max HVAC experts and seek help in fixing your indoor air conditioner.

Reducing Noise From an Outdoor AC

A noisy outdoor AC is not only a menace to you but also to your neighbors. Your neighbors could file for noise disturbance simply because they couldn’t sleep due to your noisy AC. For outdoor air conditioners, the probable culprits are the compressors or the fans. Essentially, when the fan attached to your air conditioner’s compressor is faulty, the compressor or fan might start producing screeching sounds. Generally, the causes of noise in an outdoor air conditioner are mainly caused by either electrical or structural problems. Some of these are:

• A faulty compressor that screeches during operation
• Problematic capacitors and wiring
• Bent fan blades that lead to banging noises
• Leaking refrigerant
• Loose-fitting of the unit within the frame

Other Ways of Quieting a Noisy Air Conditioner

Apart from the above methods, you can reduce the noise from your air conditioner by using locally available materials. Essentially, these materials will be used to block out the noise from the units and keep your environment more relaxed. The following are some other ways you can quieten your air conditioner:

Using a Soundproof Blanket

Older air conditioner models didn’t have as much padding as modern models do. This means that the compressors were not that well held in place during the vibrations. With a soundproof blanket, you get a cheap solution with a high noise-reduction level.

Noise Barriers

If other solutions don’t work, then creating a noise barrier will work. Essentially, a noise barrier is built around the unit. The noise barrier will hold the noise in place and prevent it from leaving the barrier. To construct this barrier, you can use materials such as plywood or a panel enclosure.

Air Conditioning Fence

Create a fence around your air conditioner unit. Once you have erected the fence, you can wrap it with soundproofing material that prevents excess noise from escaping.

Get Your Air Conditioner Checked By an Expert

Getting an expert to take a look at your air conditioner could be the most cost-effective way to quieten your AC. This will offer an instant fix and better results.

Contact the Experts Today

A noisy air conditioner is bound to do more harm than good. Finding adequate ways to minimize the noise ensures that you can restore the quiet and conducive working or living environment of your space. At Air Max HVAC, we offer AC and heating repair, installation, and maintenance services. For more information on quieting your noisy AC at Burbank, give us a call at Air Max HVAC today.