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Why is my central air conditioning unit getting louder and louder?

Wow...it's been over 105 degrees here in the South for the past several days, and my air conditioner has run almost non-stop, day & night. Over the past 2-3 days, the fan (via a floor intake) is getting louder and louder to the point that it is ridiculous. It's not squealing (belt), and it's not grinding (bearings)...it's just super loud and sounds a bit buzzy (if that makes any sense). It still blows strong & cold, just keeps getting louder. It's to the point that you can't hear the stereo or tv without turning it waaay up. Any ideas as to what it might be and how to fix it? THANKS!!

Public Comments

1. Have you changed the filters on the air intake? Clogged intake filters will make the fans and blowers work harder.
2. Have squirrels been dropping acorns through the vent holes in the unit?
3. we had a similar situation on the freezer at work. the screws that held the fan to it's hub were sheared and the fan was waaay off balance. put your hand on the blower housing and see if it is vibrating. if so, it may be time for some new component. if not, take it apart and vacuum the dust out. you are supposed to clean and oil these blowers every 3 years to keep it running efficiently and without major problems.
4. could be the blower wheel itself is out of balance or the hub is coming loose from the blower...or the motor bearings are going bad....it has to be one of the two problems...
5. Sounds like the motor might be going out. I would certaily get in there and take a look. Maybe oil the fan motor?? You are going to have to look at it. Yahoo answers is not going to solve your problem. It's not uncommom for an AC unit to run all day long when it's 105 outside. Most air conditioners are designed for a high temp of 95.
6. sounds like the squirrel cage (fan wheel) is covered in dust and causing the wheel to become off balance. floor vents as in package unit under the house? sounds like it. if so, maybe the valves on the compressor. its a bit of a racket. try turning of the ac and just the fan. if it went away its your compressor valves going. if not its the blower wheel