Your HVAC system is obviously essential as it ensures that your home remains at a comfortable temperature throughout the year. However, many HVAC systems can produce a large amount of noise. In fact, it is common to have noise levels of 70 decibels or more at each vent inside the home, and this can be especially problematic when you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep or are working from home. Luckily, if you’re experiencing issues with excessive noise coming from your HVAC system, there are a number of options that can help in terms of soundproofing.
Make Sure That Your Ductwork Is Well-insulated
One factor that can make a huge difference in how much noise your HVAC system makes is how well insulated your home’s ductwork is. If the ducts are left exposed without insulation, they will obviously cause much more noise. Ductwork often produces rattling or vibrating sounds, and you will also hear the air flowing through it. Wrapping your ductwork in insulation or soundproofing materials is the easiest way to avoid these issues. Insulating your ductwork also has the added benefit of helping to reduce your heating and cooling costs as it helps fight against heat loss and gain. However, this job should always be done by a professional HVAC technician to ensure it is done properly and doesn’t lead to any safety issues.
Add Soundproofing Materials to Your HVAC Closet
In many homes, the HVAC system is located inside its own dedicated closet. If your home is set up this way, you can definitely help reduce the noise that you hear by adding soundproofing materials to the walls and ceiling inside the closet. Still, this will only have an impact on the sound you hear coming from the closet, and it won’t do anything to lessen the noise coming from your vents.
Use Acoustic Ceiling Tiles or Additional Insulation to Block Out Noise
If your ductwork is located in the ceiling, you can greatly reduce the noise you hear by using acoustic ceiling tiles. If you don’t want to replace your existing ceiling tiles, you can also achieve the same result by cutting pieces of insulation to fit over the top of each tile. This method can be a huge help in eliminating much of the noise you hear coming from the ductwork in the ceiling.
Use Vent Covers to Deaden the Noise
If the biggest issue is the noise coming from your HVAC vents themselves, one option is to simply use a vent cover to block out the noise as needed such as when you’re trying to sleep. However, this will also block any heat or cool air from being circulated into that room. This makes it more of a temporary solution for certain situations instead of a permanent option to fully soundproof your HVAC system. If you do choose to go this route, it is important that you never cover multiple vents in the home at the same time. Doing so will result in a pressure imbalance inside the system, which can make it more difficult for it to properly circulate heated or cooled air throughout the home. It can also lead to increased energy costs and potentially damage or shorten the lifespan of your HVAC equipment.
Repair or Replace Your Existing HVAC Equipment
The biggest determining factors in how much noise an HVAC system will make are the age and condition of the equipment. Newer furnaces, air conditioners and air handlers tend to produce far less noise than units produced a decade or more ago. If the cooling or heating equipment isn’t working properly and needs to be repaired, it can also cause it to be much louder.
Making sure to have your heating and cooling systems professionally inspected and maintained at least once a year is the easiest way to ensure that everything is working properly and to prevent or overcome any issues that could cause the system to produce more noise. If your current furnace, AC or air handler is more than 15 years old, you should also consider having it replaced. Doing so will not only drastically shrink your energy costs but also reduce the amount of noise that you hear every time the heating or AC is running.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce the noise your HVAC system makes, the professional technicians at Variable Comfort Solutions have a number of solutions that may be able to help. We work on all makes and models of HVAC equipment, and we offer free estimates for all work we perform. If you’re looking to replace your existing furnace, air conditioner or other HVAC equipment, we can also help you choose the best size and type of unit for your home. We proudly serve customers in Huntington, West Virginia and the surrounding areas and are ready to help however we can. For more information on HVAC soundproofing or any other service, give us a call today.
