Your air conditioner may not be whisper quiet when it runs normally, but that may be normal for your unit. However, new sounds or louder sounds could indicate the need for air conditioner repairs. Here are some noises you might hear coming from the condenser that could indicate it's time for air conditioning repairs.

Buzzing Noises From Electronic Parts

The electrical supply and signals from the thermostat enter the condenser and go to the contactor and then to the capacitor. If these parts are broken, you might hear an electrical buzzing or humming sound. The AC repair technician can test these parts with a multimeter, and if they're no longer working, they can be replaced.

Scraping Or Rattling From The Fan

If there's a problem with the fan or the fan motor, you could hear a scraping sound, loud buzzing, or rattling. Problems with the fan could include a loose fan blade, loose screw, bad bearings, or a bad motor. Fixing a problem with the fan is an important air conditioning system repair because the condenser fan cools down the compressor and refrigerant lines.

Your AC might overheat and shut down if the fan problem isn't repaired promptly. As such, the repair technician might need to tighten a screw, replace the fan blades, or put in a new fan motor.

Squealing Or Grinding From The Compressor

A faulty compressor can make a variety of noises depending on what's wrong with it. There might be an electrical problem or the motor might be bad. Compressor trouble is another of those air conditioning system repairs that should be done quickly so the compressor can be saved.

The repair technician can test the compressor to determine what's wrong with it. They may even be able to diagnose the problem just by listening to the type of noise the compressor makes. An AC compressor sometimes gets louder as it ages, so it may not even need repairs unless the sound is so loud you want it to stop.

Clicking Or Scraping Caused By Tilting

If the concrete pad under your condenser sinks on one end, the condenser can tilt. When the condenser isn't level, the fan might start hitting against wiring or something else inside the condenser when it spins around. Your repair technician might fix this problem by putting adjustable legs under the condenser to keep the condenser level even if the pad isn't. However, if the pad keeps sinking, then it may need to be replaced or raised so the condenser doesn't get tilted again. To learn more, contact an air conditioning system repair service.