A noisy, loud air conditioner can be an annoyance, especially when sleeping or watching TV.
Not all air conditioners are built the same when it comes to how much noise they make.
Some are so quiet you don’t even know it has turned on, while others can wake you up in the middle of the night.
Before racing out to buy a new air conditioner, let us look at some things a homeowner can do to quiet down a noisy A/C unit.
What is the Source of the Loud Noisy Air Conditioner?
The moving parts of an A/C unit are what make them noisy, mainly the compressor and the condensing fan motor.
While other components may also be noisy such as the refrigerant lines, the unit will usually not work if those have a problem.
The usual problem is the compressor or condensing fan motor with ways to fix these problems below.
3 Fixes for a Loud Noisy Air Conditioner Unit
- Compressor Sound Blanket
- Vibration Isolation Dampener Mounts
- Condensing Fan Motor
The compressor is what pumps refrigerant through lines to remove heat and can sometimes be loud.
There are what is called Compressor Sound Blanket Wraps that go around a compressor, helping to muffle the noise that they make.
Example Universal Compressor Sound Blanket Wrap on Amazon
Brinmar SBUHD Universal-Fit Air Conditioner Compressor Sound Blanket Wrap (0421A)
Most A/C units don’t come with a noise suppressor blanket, but a few manufacturers do install them at the factory. Be sure to check if one has been installed already or not.
Installing a compressor blanket is not hard but requires removing a side panel or the top panel to access the compressor.
A compressor blanket is made of a thick noise suppressing material and simply wraps around the compressor, and can greatly reduce the noise they make.
Some compressors vibrate when they run, making them loud as they vibrate around.
A low-cost way to fix this problem is with vibration isolation dampener mounts which are nothing more than hard rubber fittings.
The dampener mounts are placed under the compressor where it is bolted to the unit, usually 3-4 bolts.
Dampener mounts are very effective if a compressor is vibrating badly.
Example Dampener mounts on Amazon
JW Winco 451.1-25-25-5/16-55 Series GN 451.1 Rubber Cylindrical Vibration Isolation Mount with 2 Threaded Studs, Inch Size, 1″ Diameter, 1″ Height, 5/16-18 Thread
Installing vibration mounts is not difficult but does require opening a unit and replacing each compressor bolt with the rubber vibration dampener ones.
Before
After
If you go this route, be sure to get the correct bolt size. There are many sizes and styles to choose from.
A condensing fan motor is a large fan that blows heat away from an A/C unit as it runs.
These motors can make a racket noise or a loud buzzing noise if they don’t fit in the unit properly.
Sometimes this is due to bad manufacturing or when the unit was shipped, somehow tweaked the casing the motor sits in.
A good HVAC technician will be able to replace the fan motor and get it to seat properly, getting it to quiet down.
The compressor motor is often simply bad and has worn bearings making it spin unevenly.
Condensing fan motors is a job that a handy Do-It-Yourself type can do.
Read here for more on replacing a condensing fan motor.
Another problem with a condensing fan is if the fan blade itself has become damaged, making the motor spin wobbly and creating noise.
Fan blades and condensing fan motors can be bought on Amazon or eBay. If you do order the parts, be sure they match your unit.
Summary
There is no reason to have to live with a loud air conditioning unit with many ways to help quiet it down.
The first step is to locate the noise source, such as the compressor, condensing fan motor, or other components.
Usually, the problem will be either the compressor or condensing fan motor.
A do-it-yourself homeowner can fix many problems, but if in doubt, be sure to call a professional.
Have you experienced a loud, noisy air conditioner unit? Let us know your thoughts below.
I live in Tennessee and I’ve had my new u it only about 5 years now I noticed it quit cooling in my house and I went outside and heard a loud knocking on the bottom of the unit, I came in went to my attic and there was a hockey puck sensor beeping saying there is moisture – we’ve been having a lot of rain ☔️ here, my unit in my attic is dry but I don’t have the money to get anything done with it right now- and it’s going right back up into the mid 90’s – please help me I am retired on a fixed income here I’ve turned the switch off so nothing is running right now but all the fans I own to try to cool my home now if 2500 square feet!???
This doesn’t mention an intermittent buzz. My unit runs and cools but about every 20 seconds has a 1 second buzz. What is the likely fault?
Thanks
Can an air conditioning compressor that has loose mounting bolts damage the compressor because of excessive vibration
I live In California and just a new AC wall mounted unit put in its great but loud when cooking, a sort of crackle bubbling sound,
When it’s reached the set temp the sounds stops. It coming from inside not oudide
It is a Electrolux
Thanks