It often happens that all electric heaters make some sort of noise. Crackling, Humming and Buzzing noises from heaters are very common. This post is related to all common possible reasons If your Electric Heater is Making Buzzing Noise.
Why does Electric Heater Make Buzzing Noise?
If your electric heater is making a similar noise, there are a few possible reasons:
- Maybe, when the heater expands it makes a popping sound.
- Maybe the heater fan is making a noise.
- It could also be that the electric coil heater is vibrating.
- It could also be that the screws holding the heater together have loosened.
- The mounting brackets are not properly installed.
➤ Also, Read This: – Frigidaire Electric Oven not Heating Troubleshooting
In this article, I’ll explain some of the common causes of these buzzing sounds coming from electric heaters.
I’ll also explain why electric wall heaters, space heaters, and electric baseboard heaters make buzzing, humming, creaking, and humming noises.
1. Popping sound on the expansion of the electric heater
This is the most common reason why your electric heater is making noise. It is often more noticeable in larger types of heaters (such as baseboard heaters).
You will hear clicking, banging, and popping sounds from these types of heaters. This happens because the molecules expand when they are heated.
When the molecules are heated, the molecules are accelerated at that time, so they increase in volume and the heat energy of the molecules becomes kinetic energy, so they start making noise. You can only hear it, not see it. It is also inevitable, but it is not a cause for concern.
If you listen carefully, even when you switch off the electric heater, there is a popping and clicking sound. As the material cools, the molecules lose their energy and shrink.
However, there is no way to fix this type of noise.
You can reduce this noise by adjusting your thermostat. This is the only solution. If you can control when the heater is on, you’ll know when it’s about to pop and bang.
Also, if possible, don’t leave your electric heater on overnight. Get a small room heater for the evenings. Not that smaller heaters won’t bang and pop as well, but it will be less audible.
2. Fan making noise in electric heater
Many types of electric heaters have fans attached to them to blow hot air into the room. This is a good solution because it is generally more efficient than radiant heat, and is especially useful if the electric heater is small and portable.
But the fans installed in these can be very loud, especially if they are poor quality fans, you can face even more noise. Sometimes the friction of the bearings in the fan can cause noise.
Some common causes of fan noise in electric heaters are listed below:
- Dust on fan blades or fan bearings.
- The old and worn-out bearing of the fan.
- Corrosion of fan bearing.
- Drying of grease in fan bearings.
When the fan in the electric heater is making noise then it becomes necessary to fix it and fixing the fan is not a big deal; You can also change it. Finding the right replacement fan for this may be your biggest challenge.
I would suggest that unless you are an electrical technician, do not try to take apart an electric heater. If having technical knowledge, you can fix this fan noise.
If the fan of an electric heater makes noise, you can take steps to fix the fan:
- First, open the electric heater.
- Now separate the fan by unscrewing the screws.
- Clean the dust on the fan blades.
- Then take the fan blades out first to find the fan bearings.
- Now after thoroughly cleaning the fan bearing, use grease to lubricate it.
- Finally, put the heater fan back on and try turning on the electric heater.
Do not use any oil to lubricate the bearing. Instead, use Liquid Bearings Synthetic Lubricant, available at Amazon.com. This is a special lubricant. Because it comes with ½ in (1.27 cm) and 1½ in (3.81 cm) injection needles, you can apply just the amount of oil you need.
➤ Also, Read This: – Buy Top Glass Electric Kettle
3. Maybe the old electric coil heater is vibrating.
Coils are often used in electric heaters to convert electrical energy into thermal energy. This design is a simple yet fabulous one.
But when the thin coil is heated to extreme temperatures some unwanted side effects are produced. Remember that when thermal energy is heated, it is converted into kinetic energy.
The same goes for the coils inside your electric heater. The temperature becomes so high that the coil in the heater starts vibrating.
To counter this, manufacturers varnish the coils. The result of which is that the lifetime of the coil is increased significantly and the resistance to environmental stress is improved.
But this varnish wears out over time. If your electric heater is old, the coil in it will vibrate.
The vibrations cause an annoying buzzing sound, which is more noticeable, especially at night.
You can change the coil if you want. It’s not an impossible task, but frequently replacing coils can be very expensive, so you might be better off buying a new electric heater.
4. The screws that hold the electric heater in place may have loosened.
Electric heater screws tend to loosen over time. If there are any screws on the housing of the electric heater, tighten them.
But on the contrary, the bigger problem is with the screw that holds the mounting bracket in place.
If you use a wall-mounted heater, loose screws on the electric heater can cause it to vibrate. Also, if you have a fan installed in your electric heater, the noise increases even more.
Therefore, tighten all the bolts and screws of your electric heater. When tightening the screws so that there is some room for their expansion.
5. Sometimes the mounting brackets are not installed correctly
As related to the previous point, mounting brackets, if installed improperly, can cause vibration noise.
If the bracket is not installed properly, the electric heater may even fall from the wall.
You should check the user manual to verify whether you have installed the brackets correctly.
As we read above that if the electric heater makes a noise then there can be many reasons for it.
Let us now know about some types of electric heaters and the sound coming from them. Along with this, we will also read some ways to prevent the noise from coming from them.
Some Types of Electric Heaters Which Make Noise
- Electric Water Heater
- Electric Wall Heater
- Electric Baseboard Heater
- Hydronic Baseboard Heater
- Space Heater Making
Why Electric Water Heaters Make Noise
Electric Water Heater has trapped Air Bubbles
Let us now know about the noise coming from the electric water heater. These types of heaters have a number of unique problems, including trapped air bubbles that cause rumbling.
These heaters must have enough room for the water to expand, so there’s not much you can do about it. However, this expansion of water also entrains air bubbles.
So this expanse of water is related to this kind of rumbling and popping sound, but thankfully it is not dangerous.
Is the Electric Water Heater clogged with Sludge and Lime
Dirty water is a major issue when you use a hot water radiator system to heat your home in the winter.
Your electric water heater’s efficiency drops if the heater water isn’t crystal-clear. So, you must have noticed that your electricity bill has increased in the last few years, then this could be one of the reasons.
Due to the lack of clean water, it is present in the heater in the form of sludge and also causes a lot of noise in the heater, pipes, and radiator. When cold water settles in the bottom of the tank, the sediment causes rumbling.
But do you know where this dirty sludge comes from?
It is often found that the heater water is clogged with limescale, which builds up over time. In addition, this problem can also be caused by the heater and radiator getting a bit rusty over time and bacteria can grow in the hot water.
If you want to solve this problem, you can put some Rectorseal water heater flush (available on Amazon.com) in your electric water heater. This product is biodegradable and a fast-acting agent that will clean your tank, radiators, and coils of any limescale buildup.
If Electric Wall Heater Makes Noise
There can be many reasons why an electric wall heater makes noise.
When you first turn on your electric wall heater, it will make some noise.
However, it is a normal part of this heater to make noises when it goes through the initial popping warmup process. Because the molecules move faster as soon as they get energy, your wall heater and the wall attached to it expand slightly.
But after a few minutes of this process, the heater should not make any noise. This noise is slightly different from the noise of coils and fans.
This heater is very noisy even if the wall heater is not mounted properly.
Electric Heater Making Buzzing Noises may occur if the mounting bracket is loose. So, only tighten them so they don’t move when touching them.
Additionally, another reason why an electric wall heater making buzzing noise may make noise is that the surface beneath the heater is uneven.
Electric Baseboard Heater Making a Loud Banging Noise
Electric baseboards should not be noisy as these heaters do not have fans.
Surprisingly, these heaters tend to be very loud and can be loud enough to wake you up in the middle of the night.
But what is the reason for their noise?
Once again, since baseboard heaters do not have a fan, these heaters run on radiation.
So the most common reason for them making noise is thermal expansion. Baseboard heaters create radiation heat, which gradually heats up everything around the heater.
The thin metal housing of the heater expands when heated and contracts when it cools. Due to this, it produces a loud banging sound.
The thermostat in the heater turns the baseboard heater on and off several times an hour, causing a lot of banging and popping.
Why is my Electric Space Heater making Buzzing Noise?
All small appliances can make noises occasionally, space heaters being one of them. Some of the reasons why your Electric Space Heater makes buzzing, Cracking and Humming noises are:
- Tension free as an extension of the surface material
- temperature control running
- oil is heating up
Tension causes a noisy space heater
The main reason a space heater makes noise is due to the expansion of the surface material.
This occurs when the space heater heats up and the high temperature begins to affect the surface material. You’ll likely hear a clicking sound, which occurs when the material heats up and expands.
You may be wondering after listening to this clicking sound, why did this noise come from your space heater?
This is because as the surface material of the heater expands, it creates stress. When you hear this clicking sound, it’s nothing to worry about.
Space heaters- Safe Noise vs Dangerous Noise
| Clicking | Safe |
| Buzzing | Not Safe |
| Popping | Safe for Oil Space Heaters |
| Gargling | Only safe for Oil Space Heaters |
| Humming | Safe if quiet |
It is normal to hear a soft humming when the space heater is in operation. It is a cause for concern when the hum becomes loud or inconsistent.
Final Words
Electric Heater Making Buzzing Noise or other types of noise like Clicking, Garglin and Popping. All of these types of noises are common in electric heaters.
As one of the main reasons for making noises is that the heaters release stress as the parts expand, due to which these types of noises are heard.
It is common for light noises to come from electric heaters, but if these noises take a loud form, then it becomes a matter of concern.