The usual suspects
Buzzing — electrical
A chattering contactor or dying capacitor; buzzing while stalled means the compressor can’t start. Do not ignore.
Grinding or screeching — motor bearings
A fan motor dying. Caught early it’s a motor swap; run to failure, it takes friends with it.
Banging or rattling — something loose
Debris in the fan, a bent blade, or a loose blower wheel. Stop before impact damage spreads.
Hissing or gurgling — refrigerant
A leak or restriction, especially with weak cooling. Treat as a leak until gauges say otherwise.
Heard enough?
Send us a 10-second video of the noise when you book — our techs can usually name the part before arriving.
Book My Same-Day Visit60 seconds online · or call (206) 486-6373
Worth trying first (5 minutes, free)
- 1
Kill power at the disconnect, then look for debris around the outdoor fan.
- 2
Hand-tighten the cabinet panels — years of vibration make convincing rattles.
- 3
Record the sound on your phone — it genuinely speeds up the diagnosis.
Still not working? Then it’s a technician job — and the sooner it’s booked, the sooner the house is comfortable again. Book the visit →
Stop and book a pro if…
- Any electrical buzz with a stalled fan or compressor.
- Hissing near the refrigerant lines.
- Grinding that continues — every minute grinds metal into the motor.
- A burning smell joins the noise — breaker off, book now.
Why homeowners hand it to us
- You approve the price first. Upfront quote before a single screw turns.
- Same-day service. Book in a minute, hear from a tech within 1 business hour.
- 500+ jobs done by 4.9★ rated, professional technicians.
- Fixed right, guaranteed. If it’s not right, we make it right.
Quick answers
Can I run it if it’s noisy but cooling?
Rattles can wait a few days. Buzzing, grinding, hissing and banging cannot — each is a part actively failing, and a dead compressor costs 10× a service call.
Does a loud compressor mean replacement?
Often it’s actually the fan motor, contactor or mounting — all repairable. If it truly is the compressor on an old unit, we give you the honest repair-vs-replace math first.
What happens on a noise call?
Reproduce, isolate, quote upfront, fix — most in one same-day visit.
Done guessing?
Noises never fix themselves — they graduate into bigger repairs. Book while it’s still the small one.
Book My Same-Day Visit60 seconds online · or call (206) 486-6373
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