7 Effective Ways To Soundproof Furnace Closet in 2023

A furnace closet is a space that is specifically designed to contain a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system which is also known as an HVAC system. It contains the air ducts that go from your home’s heating and cooling systems to the outside environment. The furnace closet is located in your bathroom or in the living room of your home.

And this is where the problem starts.

Having a furnace closet system at home has many benefits but it generated very annoying noise which is sometimes very irritating.  

Why Do You Need To Soundproof Your Furnace Closet?

Many homeowners are still unaware of how to soundproof a furnace closet. It can be very hard to sleep in a noisy home. A lot of people spend a lot of money on a new furnace or air conditioner but forget to look at the other aspects of their home.

A furnace closet is one of these items. If you’re looking to soundproof your furnace closet, there are several ways you can do this. In this article, I will show you how to soundproof a furnace closet in an easy and cheap way.

Benefits of Soundproofing Your Furnace Closet

The benefits of soundproofing your furnace closet include keeping the noise level down and keeping your home quieter and more comfortable. It also helps to prevent the furnace from being a distraction.

7 Easy And Cheap Ways To Soundproofing Furnace Closets

Here, I’ve shared 7 self-applied easy, and cheap ways to soundproof a furnace closet in your home. In this article, we don’t talk about past outdated methods, but we are going to utilize some helpful new tools and innovative ideas to soundproof our furnace closets in 2023.

Step 1. Put Some Soundproof Items Near The Furnace To Add Mass

You can reduce the noise coming from the furnace closet to some extent by adding some mass to it. 

Many people wonder about how to do that…

The question is pretty obvious as adding anything like plywood, some sheets, etc don’t work. You need to put some good sound-absorbing materials for this purpose.

I would highly recommend using some soundproofing blocks or acoustic panels. My personal choice is the acoustic panel. It will cost you a little bit high but is worth investing in.  

If you have a budget problem then I’ve some suggestions in the budget category such as you can use some thick carpets, clothes, etc to add mass to your furnace closet.  

I will tell you why the acoustic panel is my favorite choice.

The acoustic panel is made of a timber frame. It has a number of layers of acoustic foam which make it very effective for soundproofing projects. 

One of the main benefits of acoustic panels is that they can be installed with minimal effort and little disruption to the existing structure.

This is the first possible way to soundproof a furnace closet, and It is effective to reduce noise to some extent. To reduce noise in a better way let’s move to the second step.

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Step 2. Cover The Furnace Closet Walls Using Drywall

Drywall helps to absorb the sound waves and helps to reduce unwanted noises in your room. I have noted that many professionals recommend using drywall in the room for soundproofing. You can also use it for soundproofing your furnace closet and room.

You can use drywall with your furnace closet in two different ways:

1. Add drywall layers to the existing furnace closet wall.
2. Build a drywall layer box outside the HVAC system.

If you want to add drywall layers inside the furnace closet then make sure it has enough space to do so. First, measure the internal space to ensure you can add drywall layers successfully.  

If you encounter insufficient space inside your furnace closet then you can build an external drywall box that can be installed just outside the HVAC system. 

It is better to take professional help for this task because the drywall box must be ventilated properly, and it is designed in such a way that allows easy access inside the HVAC system for service. 

Make sure the gap between the Furnace closet and external drywall box is filled with insulation material for better soundproofing. 

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Step 3: Soundproof The Floor 

The noise coming from the furnace closet is really annoying and one of the major factors behind this irritating noise is the vibration. 

If you do proper soundproofing of the floor then you can minimize them effectively. I shared my method to soundproof the furnace closet floor. Just put some thick carpets on the floor of your furnace closet. 

This is a cheap method that really works to minimize the vibrations and grumbling which make an annoying noise. 

Carpets also block the gap between the furnace closet door and the floor which also help to minimize the intensity of noise. 

But most people don’t have lots of carpets in their homes and don’t have any budget issues. They can buy some anti-vibration pads and put them on the floor. These pads are used in the washing machine to reduce vibrations and noise of it.

Benefits of using carpets and anti-vibration pads on the floor of the furnace closet:

• The first benefit is that these materials can help reduce the amount of noise and vibrations that are transferred from the furnace to the walls of the furnace closet.
• They are cheap and effective in reducing noise. 

Note: Installing the anti-vibration pad on the furnace floor is a tedious job for most homeowners because you have to remove the furnace first. 

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Step 4: Modify The Furnace Closets Door For Soundproofing

Many closet doors are not good in sound detention due to their hollow core structure and it is advisable to buy new modified doors for your furnace closet for better soundproofing.

But if you don’t willing to spend much on furnace closet door soundproofing then I’ve some other cheap ways to make the closet doors heavy. 

• Mostly there is enough space at the back of the closet door and you can put some extra pieces of plywood to make it thick. This way your door looks good as earlier but now traps all those terrible noises more effectively. 
• You can also use some acoustic panels instead of plywood at the backside of the furnace closet door. 
• One of the cheapest ways to thicken the closet door even without any investment is to hang some clothes in the back of the door or use some foam. 

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Step 5: Take Care Of All The Holes And Gaps 

Gaps, cracks, and holes are good friends for noise and allow it to pass through them. Identify the location of all the gaps, crack, and holes and fill them properly for better soundproofing. 

You can find them in the following locations:

• There are some gaps between the drywall pieces.
• The wall gets cracks with time.
• The mounting system has some holes which need to fill properly.
• Some holes through which wires pass. 
• The gap between the top and bottom of the furnace closet door.

People often neglect the gap between the top and bottom of the door, but it is very important that they are tightly packed when you close the door. To do so you can put the carpet at the bottom and some extra layers of wood at the top. 

You can fix them using cement, caulking, and using some good-quality adhesives. All the noticeable gaps can be filled using some good noise-proofing Sealants. 

Advantages of using noise-proofing sealant:

• It is a great way to fill gaps in walls and floors quickly. 
• It doesn’t damage the surface of your walls or floors.
• Most noise-proofing sealants are paintable. 

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Step 6: Use A Vibration Mount For Soundproofing The Furnace Closet

Furnace vibration is not just an issue when it comes to keeping your home warm. When the furnace is running, the exhaust fan can cause vibrations that make it difficult to sleep.

The best way to prevent this is by using a vibration mount. These are rubber pads that attach to the wall and are designed to dampen the vibrations caused by the fan.

Putting down the furnace system is really a tough job for the installation of the new mount system. Many homeowners are not familiar with this task and require professional help.

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Step 7: Identify Some Technical Issue Of Your Furnace System To Reduce Noise

If there is some fault in your furnace system then you will hear some abnormal noises coming from the furnace closet. Some noises require the furnace’s expert’s attention.

I’ve listed some creepy noises that coming from your furnace closet which indicate that your furnace system has some technical problems which need the immediate attention of a qualified technician:

• Bang Noise indicates that some parts inside your furnace system collide. 
• The whistling sound indicates that the hose from which the system controls the airflow is loose or damaged.
• Rattling Noise caused due to the loose screws that hold the wheels of the blower fan. The wheeled blower will shake and produces rattling noise. You can fix this rattling noise by tightening the loose screws. 
• The whooshing Noise means there are some problems with your burner. It might be damaged or corroded. 
• Grinding Noise is generated because the wheel of the blower fan might scrap against its surrounding metal. To fix the grinding noise coming from the furnace, check if the internal assembly is something stuck or hit the fan blade. 
• Truck Idling Noise is produced when the motor bearing wears down. In this situation, you have to replace the motor to fix such kind of noise. 
• Noise Produce By Draft Inducer: The Noice was produced due to the failed inducer bearing of the motor of the draft inducer fan. Too much noise, you need to replace the motor.
• Some furnaces have a belt drive motor, and its belt wears down over time, misaligns, slips, or loses. It creates a very annoying sound which is similar to the belt of an old car. You can reduce or fix such noise by replacing the motor belt. 
• Clicking Noise indicates that there are some problems in the electric ignition system of your Furnace. 

Check the noise level of your furnace closet by using a sound meter, and identify the source of those noises, which irritate you and your family. It might be the closet, or the furnace itself. Normal noise issues can be solved by soundproofing the furnace closet. 

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Conclusion

Finally, I’m going to bind up this article after giving some proven and self-applied soundproofing tips so that you don’t bother soundproofing your furnace closet yourself. 

You have to read the full article to understand some core information to soundproof your furnace closet. Thicken the wall, covering the floor, and adding mass to the closet system are some best ways to get rid of unwanted noise coming from the furnace closet.

You can also do your own research but it takes a lot of time, soundproofing is fun but takes time and money. You can also consider visiting a professional to take care of the process for you.

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