What to Check First
- Normal Operating Sounds: These sounds may occur as the temperature changes or components operate. They may include snapping, clicking, gurgling, hissing, or humming sounds.
- Sounds That Require Inspection: These sounds may occur when components are touching, vibrating, or not working properly. They may include loud rattling, rapid tapping, or high-pitched sounds. Find the description that most closely matches the sound you hear to check the possible cause and recommended action.
- Identify Sounds from Your Air Conditioner.
- Note: The recordings were made while actual air conditioners were operating. The volume may vary, parts of a sound may not be audible, and background noise may be present. Adjust the playback volume as needed.
- You may hear a snapping or popping sound as internal plastic components react to temperature changes. This is normal and similar to the sounds a TV makes as it heats up or cools down.
- Clicking, Clunking, or a Metallic Clicking Sound.
- Your wall-mounted air conditioner's indoor unit uses a power relay to supply power to the outdoor unit. This relay may turn on every two hours to preheat the outdoor unit, making a normal clicking or clunking sound.
- Your ceiling-mounted air conditioner has an internal drain pump. You may hear a gurgling or motor sound when the pump operates, especially in a quiet room. These are normal operating sounds.
- Thudding, Tapping, or Clicking.
- You may hear thudding, tapping, or clicking as the louvers move to adjust the airflow up, down, left, or right. These sounds commonly occur when you first use the air conditioner or change the airflow direction. The louvers make these sounds as they move through different angles and return to the correct position. This is normal. If the sound is distracting while you sleep, check whether vertical or horizontal airflow is turned on. Turn off the airflow direction setting if you do not need it.
Why This Can Happen
Symptoms can have more than one cause, and the correct steps depend on the exact model, installation and operating conditions. Use the checks above to narrow the issue before service.
Safety and Model-Specific Guidance
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I check first for How to Identify and Fix Noises from Your LG Air Conditioner?
Normal Operating Sounds: These sounds may occur as the temperature changes or components operate. They may include snapping, clicking, gurgling, hissing, or humming sounds.
When should I stop troubleshooting and contact LG?
Stop if the product shows signs of electrical damage, burning, leaking near electrical components, or if the recommended checks do not resolve the issue. Use LG USA support for model-specific service guidance.
Does this guidance apply to every LG model?
Not always. Controls, error codes and service steps can differ by model. Confirm the exact model number and follow the linked LG USA article for model-specific instructions.
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These model pages are linked because the stored category or exact model matches this Help Library topic.
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