Whose Furnace is Backfiring?

Since the last week in January there has been a loud BOOMing sound that I could hear from my condo unit. It sounded like it was coming from my neighbor…someone slamming doors with regularity. The regularity was such that it seemed like someone going out for a smoke and slamming a door.

I finally got an opportunity to talk to my neighbor and she said she had heard nothing. How could that be? As I logged this noise, I saw it was every 20 to 40 minutes…depending on the outside temperature. I knew it was her furnace. Totally frustrated I contacted the management company to come over and listen to the noise. The management rep agreed with me…it was coming from next door and she would get a letter. No one wants to get a letter telling you that all is not well with your unit and there are things you must do…with a time line. I didn’t want to cost her money to fix the furnace, but when you hear a loud noise every 20 to 40 minutes all day every day…

I will shorten the story here. Yesterday afternoon, I went down to the neighbor’s basement to listen to her furnace. (crickets) Nothing. Just the sound of a furnace running.

Later in the evening, my neighbor asked me to call her the next time I heard the noise…which I did. Her furnace was turned off. Hmmm. So I turned my furnace off for an hour. Nothing. Another hour. Nothing. Turned the furnace on and shortly after the heating cycle ended, BOOM! At this point, I stayed in the furnace room to listen and determined that it probably was a backfire.

So today I eat humble pie. I have emailed management explaining to them that it is my problem…not my neighbor…and that the gas company is coming at some point today to fix the furnace so it doesn’t BACKFIRE any more.

I’m happy for my neighbor that she thought of a way to determine whose problem before it cost her any money and more aggravation. I really don’t care that it’s my furnace…I just want the noise to STOP!

NOTE ADDED 4/5/12
The furnace is not backfiring. One of the air ducts is expanding and contracting. Which one? Can't tell. It will have to wait until next heating season...I just can't deal right now.