Lots of heating systems can produce annoying noises, like gurgling or knocking sounds coming from a boiler or radiator. Old furnaces rarely made running water or gurgling noises because there was no condensation or liquid involved.

Today, newer and high-efficiency furnaces do produce condensation. This means that under certain circumstances, your furnace will sound like there’s running water somewhere. This might not be too big a deal, but if you don’t get it checked out by a heating technician as soon as possible, you could risk extensive damage to your system.

Don’t just put up with strange noises as a fact of life. Your furnace should operate relatively quietly if nothing is wrong. For your quality of life and to make sure you don’t have a major heating problem beginning, ask a heating expert to troubleshoot the water sound.

Whether it’s a dripping sound, a rushing water sound, or a bubbling/gurgling sound, you wonder if it’s a new noise or something you just never noticed before. Most likely it’s new if it suddenly caught your attention. So what does it mean? There are a few different possible causes of water sounds in your inside unit. if you want to know what to expect, here are some probable causes.

Dripping Water
If you hear the sound of dripping water coming from your indoor unit, it likely means condensation is not draining properly. Moisture naturally builds up in your HVAC system and should drain out if it’s working correctly. A blocked drainage tube could be preventing condensation from properly draining. Other problems can cause humidity and moisture to build up in your ductwork too quickly for the drainage system to keep up. If you have a refrigerant leak, you may hear the sound of dripping as it runs out. The bottom line: you shouldn’t be hearing the sound of dripping water from your inside unit. If you do, call your HVAC technician at Berico for a checkup.

Bubbling or Gurgling
A bubbling or gurgling water sound coming from your indoor AC or furnace unit is usually an indication of a pressure issue. Improper internal pressure could be due to an overcharge of refrigerant (too much). It could also be the result of a refrigerant leak. Anytime the refrigerant level is incorrect, it causes an imbalance of pressure and air can get in where it shouldn’t be, which in turn causes the bubbling or gurgling noise you are hearing. A trained technician will have the knowledge and equipment necessary to diagnose and repair the problem.

There are some things you can do to troubleshoot the cause of the noise:
Look for a leak or spilled water. This would be a puddle around the condensate pump, which can occur if the drain pan has perhaps been knocked askew and is dumping water onto the ground.
If possible, try to unclog the drain pipe and re-position the drain pan. This will ensure the liquid can properly flow (usually to a white pipe).
Identify where the running water noise is coming from. For example, running water that sounds like it’s coming from the walls can indicate a condensation problem in your ducts or other infrastructure. Get a professional furnace inspection soon to prevent moisture damage and detect HVAC problems.
Ask yourself: Is there anything else that could be making the sound? If you cannot determine what area or which component of the furnace the noise is coming from, try to find out if the noise is coming from somewhere else. For instance, do you have baseboard heating or a hot water tank that might be acting up?

Why Does My Furnace Sound Like Running Water?