A whistling air conditioner filter can be caused by a dirty filter, low return airflow, closed dampers, a refrigerant leak or a blocked duct. Although a faulty blower and duct leaks can also make an AC filter whistle.
AC and HVAC units are normally quiet when working properly. So if your AC filter is making a whistling sound, it’s important to fix it sooner rather than later.
In this guide, we take you through all the reasons why your AC filter is whistling, and of course how to fix it. We’ve included what causes air vent squeaking and how to stop them from being noisy as well.
13 Reasons Why Your AC Filter Is Whistling
Whistling noises are almost always the result of air escaping from your air conditioner.
Because air can escape from different places in your AC or HVAC system, identifying the source of the whistling noise can be tricky.
Here are all the reasons that can cause your AC filter to whistle, it’s best to go through them in order to troubleshoot your specific problem:
1. Dirty Air Filters
Air filters keep dust and debris out of the air conditioner. But these filters accumulate dust and become clogged over time, limiting the airflow.
On the technical side of things – In a clogged filter, the vibrating length of a fiber is greatly reduced. These shortened fibers vibrate at a higher frequency as the air flows. These large-amplitude vibrations of 5000Hz or higher sound like a whistle.
Unfortunately, this restricted airflow can also cause overheating in the air conditioner.
Solution:
Check the filter for dirt and debris by removing it:
- Wash the air filters regularly. Proper cleaning means there will be enough air flow or ventilation for the normal operation of the unit.
- For some air conditioners, it might be difficult to unclog the filter, and you may need a technician.
- Clean (or replace) the air filters every three months. During summer, when dust and allergen particles in the air are at their greatest levels, this should increase to every month.
If you’re worried that your AC filter keeps bending, Plentiful Air has a complete troubleshooting guide to help you fix it available here.
2. Low Return Airflow
Low return airflow is the most common cause of whistling in your air conditioner. This is caused by a blockage in the return vents.
The return vents draw air from your home to the AC unit so that the evaporator coils can cool it. If the return vents are blocked, your AC unit has to work harder to pull enough air through the unit. When the high-speed pressurized air passes through the return vents, the air conditioner makes a whistling sound.
In HVAC systems these return vents are in usually in open areas, staircases, or hallways. The heavy dust, furniture, or boxes in your home can block these return vents. Your system will have minimal airflow if these vents are blocked or covered.
For split systems the return air is a grill on the unit inside the home. This problem is more common for HVAC units though.
Solution:
- Remove any obstructions or debris that might be blocking the return vents.
- Make sure there are no pieces of furniture directly in front of a return vent.
3. Blocked Ducts
Many small items like dust, debris, and hair can get stuck in the ducts of your HVAC or AC system. The air passing through these clogged ducts can cause a whistling sound.
Solution:
- Cleaning the ducts usually requires professional equipment, and it’s best to call an AC/HVAC technician. They’ll clean the debris from ducts for you.
4. Refrigerant Leaks
Refrigerant leaks can cause an AC or HVAC system to whistle. A refrigerant leak can happen in your air conditioner’s internal valve or refrigerant lines.
Increased compressor pressure can cause a refrigerant leak that produces whistling or hissing sounds from your AC system.
A refrigerant leak can severely damage the system the longer you ignore it.
Solution:
Turn the unit off so you can look for a refrigerant leak in the system.
- Look over the whole unit carefully, although you might need a technician for this.
- You may need to replace the entire system if there’s a serious issue.
5. Too Many Closed Doors (HVAC’s or Central AC only)
If too many doors are closed, there’s not enough space for air to go back to the return vent.
The air then returns through the little space beneath the doors. This puts pressure on the blower to draw more air inside, which causes the whistling noise.
Solution:
- If your home’s HVAC or central AC system is connected to multiple rooms, leave some of them open to make sure there’s enough airflow.
6. Closed Dampers (HVAC only)
Closed dampers are a common cause of air conditioner whistling. These are the movable plates with the ductwork that allow you to control the air by directing it to specific parts of the home.
The closed dampers can restrict the airflow and produce a whistling sound.
Solution:
- Locate the dampers close to the inside unit, usually within 4-6 feet of the main duct.
- Once you find the dampers, open them fully.
- Adjusting the dampers is just like opening or closing a lever. It can be cumbersome as you’ll have to check the dampers for various rooms.
7. Improperly Configured Ducts
Improperly configured ducts can create a whistling sound in your central AC or HVAC system.
The duct system should supply enough air to the air blower. Wrongly configured ducts will not allow enough air to travel through, raising the air pressure inside. As a result, airflow is restricted, resulting in a whistling noise.
For example, if a return grille in the ductwork is too small to push lots of air through its small cross-section, you’ll hear a whistling sound.
Usually, the HVAC professional installs specifically sized ducts. Any error in duct configuration can interfere with sufficient airflow, creating noise.
Solution:
- To fix this issue, you’ll have to replace the ducts with ones of an appropriate size. So make sure you contact the original technician if you can.
8. Duct Leaks
The ducts in your central AC or HVAC system can develop holes or cracks. Air can escape through these duct leaks, producing a whistling sound.
The ductwork has lots of joints that are sealed together. If these joints develop cracks, the air can escape through them. Leaky ducts also consume lots of energy, increasing your bills.
Solution:
- You need to contact a licensed professional to see if the leaky ducts are causing the whistling noise. They should repair and insulate any cracked ducts.
9. Malfunctioning Blower
If you hear a loud whistling sound from the indoor unit, the problem is probably a malfunctioning blower.
The blower fan removes warm air from your home and replaces it with cooled air. The fan motor or belt can wear out over time, resulting in a loud whistling sound as your AC or HVAC system runs.
Solution:
- You’ll need to contact a certified specialist to fix this problem, and they’ll either replace or repair the blower motor.
10. Compressor Issues
Almost eveery AC or HVAC system can make whistling sounds because of compressor issues. If the pressure inside the compressor gets too high, the whistling sound can intensify to a screaming sound.
Solution:
- Turn off the unit as soon as you identify the whistling sound from the compressor.
- You can either replace the compressor on your own or contact a professional.
- Start by determining whether or not the compressor has failed.
- Check to see if the AC unit starts properly.
- Spot and inspect the switches in your circuit breaker panel.
- Check if your AC unit is getting power and blowing cold air. If the answer to both of these questions is yes, your compressor is in good working order. If this is not the case, you can proceed.
- Locate the fuse box beside the power relay and ensure it’s in good working order.
- Make sure all of the refrigerant has been removed before uninstalling the compressor.
- Remove the orifice tube, expansion valve, and receiver drier.
- Clean all extraneous materials from the AC or HVAC unit.
- Install the new compressor, orifice tube, and receiver drier.
11. Inappropriate Equipment
If you’ve replaced any HVAC or AC unit parts recently, you can hear a whistling sound if the new parts are incompatible.
These mismatched parts can give rise to many problems. One of the most common is restricted airflow, which causes strange noises from your air conditioner.
This also happens when the parts (like filters) are generic ones and not genuine (brand specific) filters.
Solution:
- You should always seek professional guidance so that you can purchase only the most compatible parts for your HVAC system when necessary.
12. Lack of Return Inlets (HVAC or Central Air only)
Proper airflow is only possible with the right number of return inlets. If you don’t have enough return inlets then the AC can whistle.
But this problem is really only going to cause your whistling AC if it’s a new system. It’s not something that can make it start whistling over time.
Solution:
- If this is your problem then you’ll need to install some new return inlets.
13. Manufacturing Fault in the Unit
A new AC or HVAC unit can start whistling just after installation or after a few days of use. This can be due to a series of manufacturing faults that restricts the airflow.
Solution:
- Call your AC or HVAC technician to diagnose the problem.
- The only solution to this problem is replacing the entire unit, or at the very least the problematic parts.
Why your air vents are squeaking
The air vents in an AC or HVAC system can squeak because of a:
- Lack of return air
- Blocked or shut off supply and return vents
- Narrow air ducts
- Ductwork clogged with debris such as nails, screws, plastic, and other small items.
- Ductwork design problems
- Shut off dampers
- Faulty grille
- A low number of return inlets
- Dirty air filters
How to Stop Vents from Whistling
Here are some general steps that you can follow to fix the whistling air vents.
- Clean the air vents from dust and debris.
- Remove any obstructions, such as curtains or furniture that might block the air vents.
- Clean the air filter.
- Once an appropriate airflow is restored, the whistling sound should go away.
- If this doesn’t fix the problem, call an experienced professional to diagnose the problem.
Some other ways to help prevent whistling from air vents in HVAC or AC systems include:
- Use a different style grille that can direct the air more efficiently. Noisy vents have a lot to do with design. You can try installing an Aluminum-based egg-crate grill that will reduce noise and improve the airflow.
- You can make HVAC system air vents whistle-free by installing soundproof material such as duct liners, and soffits. Duct liners are porous material that can absorb whistling sounds from air vents.
- Use flexible ducts to reduce the sound when extremely necessary. Flexible ducts can be bent in various shapes. These bents resist the sound waves, lowering the whistling sound.
- Cover a few vents with a magnetic cover. Remember that covering too many vents can build pressure on your air conditioner, interfering with airflow.
- Upgrade your old HVAC or AC system
The Takeaway
A whistling AC filter is mostly related to restricted airflow. You don’t need to worry about the whistling in AC or HVAC systems, as more than ninety percent of these problems can be fixed. However, you shouldn’t ignore whistling sounds for long. Otherwise, it can damage the whole unit. You can either try a few simple fixes or hire a professional to get rid of whistling.
