How To Quiet Your AC to Normal Conversation Volume

In this video I show you steps that you can take and items you can install on your air conditioner to make it as quiet as possible. By following these steps you can reduce your AC noise by up to 50%! By making the AC unit quiet, it will no longer be a disruption for outdoor events and you will also be helping to extend the life of the air conditioner by doing some or all of the steps in the video!
🧰 Products In The Video 🧰
Klein Nut Driver: amzn.to/3K6HJhD
Dewalt Driver Bit Set: amzn.to/40zbWLL
AC Compressor Sound Blanket: amzn.to/40s18PO
(Backup Option) AC Compressor Sound Blanket (not in video): amzn.to/3AsDoA5
4 ton+ Micro Air Soft Start Kit: amzn.to/3ZTGM1A
2-3.5 ton Micro Air Soft Start Kit: amzn.to/3kVSjhO
Web Coil Cleaner: amzn.to/3z5SKtr
🎥 Related Videos 🎥
How to Clean Your AC Unit and Coils Like a Pro: • How To Clean Your AC a...
How to Run Your AC With a Generator, Soft Start Kit: • How To Install A Soft ...
ALSO, here is our How To Home Amazon Store, where you can find many of the tools, items, and shirts I use and wear in my videos! amzn.to/3mcqu1E
My KZbin Filming and Editing Gear: amzn.to/3kqqkGl
Thank you for watching and for subscribing. You can support the channel at no cost to you by using one of the above affiliate links. This helps support the channel for new content!
Blessings,
Adam
How To Home assumes no liability for damage or injury. How To Home highly recommends using proper safety procedures and professionals when needed. Our content is for entertainment purposes only. No information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not How To Home. How To Home will not be held liable for any negligent or accidental damage or injury resulting from equipment, tools, electrical, fire, electronics or any items contained in this video. Attempt projects and repairs at your own risk.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Have you ever tried any of these steps? What did you find to work best for you?

[@kellyr6274]

Hi Adam, I plan on doing and buying what you've shown. I didn't know it should be cleaned, and have noticed it louder last summer. How do I know what size compressor blanket to get? I clicked on your Amazon list. Thanks, Kelly

[@alanpleiman3378]

DId a cleanup of my unit last year after the fan kicked on and slung ice chunks into the fins (it's a heat pump). got a comb to fix the fins as best as i could. I just cleaned it with a hose, no cleaning fluid. I was shocked by how much quieter it ran after just that.

[@andrewsmilie140]

Since dB’s are logarithmic, a reduction by 3 dB is actually a factor of 2.

[@keldon_champion]

That compressor blanket is among the worst ideas I have ever seen for an AC unit absolutely do not do this if you car even the slightest bit about how long it lasts because you may keep the sound in but you are also keeping the heat in which is terrible for that compressor and for your energy bill. Trapping heat in your compressor is going to put excessive stress on the bearings and is going to put extra stress on the motor in that compressor causing it to fail prematurely, in addition as the compressor heats up it will reduce it's ability effectively compress the refrigerant which will require it to run longer to remove the same amount of heat which will raise your energy bill. In the commercial HVAR/R compressor heat is enough of a problem that larger compressors have their own fans to cool them and many even go as far as injecting liquid refrigerant back into the compressor to cool it, that blanket is bad news and is going to cost you in the long term but hey your HVAC tech would be more than happy to charge you a few grand replace that unit when the compressor takes a dump.

[@keldon_champion]

​@@kellyr6274 don't do that that blanket will overheat your compressor

[@Mainbusfail]

Decibels are logarithmic, so that 35 point difference in db levels is more than three times the loudness level from baseline. That is an incredible difference.

[@brianperreault6652]

20 dB is a factor of 10, so much more difference than just 40%! That is impressive. Cleaning also made a much bigger difference than I expected. Great work!

[@johndododoe1411]

​@@brianperreault665210dB is a factor of 10 in power. If you measure volts into a loudspeaker, the power is volt² / impedance, so 10 times less volts is 100 times less power, thus 20 dB . Saving 35 dB noise is a reduction by 3000 times or 99.95%, not 40% .

[@enginerdy]

@@johndododoe1411it sounds like it too! Really amazing results

[@Mainbusfail]

@@johndododoe1411 Yes, you are correct however this is ambient noise not amplified signal. The logarithmic scale index is not the same.

[@johndododoe1411]

@@Mainbusfail Scale is the same for all sound sources. Difference between 20dB/decade ans 10dB/decade is how microphone or speaker voltages are used. If the measurement is in W/m², 10dB/decade applies . If the measurement is the sound pressure in Pa or lbf/inch², or similarly in V across a microphone or speaker, 20 dB/decade is needed to get the same results.

[@motnik]

decibels are a logarithmic scale, which means an increase of 10dB is actually a doubling in volume. So just going from 96dB to 84dB is less than half the noise! Amazing how much potential there is to reduce noise pollution with a few tricks. Thanks for sharing that!

[@fparent]

Actually a 3 dB change yields a 100% increase in sound energy and just over a 23% increase in loudness.

[@plammijr]

I recently cleaned my compressor coils. Just as instructed, it upped the unit’s efficiency and reduced the noise. Great advice. Great video.

[@jaybinning2890]

Never cleaned my coils since I bought my house 4 years ago. Coils were 75% completely clogged. Followed your coil cleaning guide, and the thing runs SOOOOOOOOO MUCH quieter! Although I'm sure the compressor running harder contributes some additional noise, I think the majority of the noise reduction (at least in my case) comes from the fact that the air is able to flow much more easily through the fin stack now that it's clean. When it was clogged up, the fan were creating a lot more negative pressure inside the unit. That causes some air to try to suck it's way back into the unit around the fan shroud, creating much more turbulent air flow, and oscillating pressure waves, leading to much louder exhaust fan noise. The reason I'm thinking most of this noise is coming from the fan was that the unit was really loud on start up, meaning the compressor shouldn't have been running super hard since the fins weren't heat soaked yet. After cleaning, it was super quiet, right from start up, and after 2 hours of continuous use!

[@hesseldijkstra5327]

On top of it, cleaning makes the condenser more energy efficient so you also save on your energy bill.

[@BLUESKYS4EVE]

I put Phenolic washers under all those small screws. It helps.

[@georgechambless2719]

A large magnet to keep track of all the screws can prevent frustrated digging around in the dirt. Missing screws create rattles.

[@otisjackson1954]

Just learned this the hard way

[@georgechambless2719]

​@@otisjackson1954 That's how I learned. I had to buy more screws for mine.

[@seankim2743]

Awesome video. My AC unit is.. quite a clamor. Thanks for the tips and advices. Time for spring cleaning and prepping for summer.

[@richhare3765]

Great videos - watched them both. You're video is the first one that I've every watched which talked about the double coils. I've used the cleaner that you recommend with good results but only on the outside as I've been hesitant "pop the top" and clean the inside. Well worth watching.

[@DGTubbs]

10:42 Yeah you do. I actually stumbled on another video by some knucklehead who said simply to spray off the outside of the coils with a hose (bare water, no cleaner). Your video on cleaning the coils was the most comprehensive one I've seen. Very helpful.

[@tripjet999]

"bare" water? LOL.

[@chrisw3421]

they work great...I've seen old ones, that caused no problem...I've installed new ones and they are very nice

[@nonayerbidnet6974]

Glad you addressed cleaning the coils

[@josesoto6793]

Great video. My A/C does a whistling sound so now I get to try these steps out. Thanks!

[@sduffman7015]

Over all a good video. I agree with bosspanther. Be careful putting a sound blanket on. Some compressors are not designed for it and relies on unimpeded heat transfer. Many compressors come from the factory with a blanket, some can use a field installed blanket others prohibit a blanket and could void the warranty.

[@midgebot86]

Love it, thanks! Our unit is right next to my kid's room. Make things a little nicer for them going forward

[@jbar_85]

Cleaning the coiled really made a difference! I need to know how to safely clean outside coils. Take the lid off safely but we just bought a new brand new ac unit so it comes with 2 free visits.

[@CarsSimplified]

Impressive results! I'm sure I need to clean mine, so that's where I'm going to start. I don't even have a noise issue (KZbin just put this video on my home page and I was curious) but I imagine it has to work harder with dirty coils.

[@melbourne-heat.69-71]

I believe on Amazon the Sound blankets cost about $70 dollars..As far as cleaning the coils good..By using a corrosive spray and letting it sit for 5 days in his other video it could damage the copper and the other metals causing Freon leaks down the road..I use distilled vinegar in my opinion it works a lot better and it's $3 dollars a gallon at Walmart..Plus wherever your air handler is you take the PVC cap off and you pour distilled vinegar into the hole to make sure that the water keeps flowing to the outside drain you do that once a month..Some Units are very expensive to repair plus they charge you a fortune for freon..Even if you have an extended warranty for certain items they will always charge you for freon..That compressor motor I believe new has a 10-year warranty on them but it doesn't cover the loss of freon..I did this kind of work after I got out of the military for about five years and then got into something better..On a couple sites I saw some go for $95 dollars if they work so great why don't they install them on a new unit at the factories probably cost them about $5 dollars..lol..🎉

[@dallasstroud8061]

Wow! I just bought a can of that cleaner today. Can’t wait to try it all out. Thanks!

[@michaelsopher5048]

I learned a lot. Fantastic information. Bless you brother.

[@ronwise37]

We got a brand new Carrier unit a few years ago and we were stunned by how noisy it was right out of the box. I'm sure the coils could use a deep clean by now but I'm really excited to try the compressor blanket. As it is now, it's really hard to sit out on the patio and talk with someone when the AC is running. Thank you for the video!

[@Thisishard2333]

Just got mine.helped a little but needs a little more help

[@wholeNwon]

My much less expensive Goodmans came with compressor blankets and are very quiet.

[@patrickjames1080]

Mine was about a year old, but very loud, primarily at startup. Called an AC company and he tightened the wire connectors on the breakers, which silenced the noise. He said they can loosen over time and if they were not torqued correctly at install.

[@ChrisP978]

Usually the connections on the contactor (the relay that activates on the AC unit itself). You can also get arcing if they get too loose which can burn up the contactor.

[@Joseph-wp2ry]

@@ChrisP978 I had that arching on my island property A/C unit. I had to find and fix myself because, well - it’s an island with limited resources - lol. However, great points by everyone. And for sure - these older unit vibrate like all hell. I’m amazed that I get 10 to 15 years out of them !!!

[@jamesmatticks70]

I cleaned the coils really good & vacuumed out the debris last week. It made a huge difference in noise reduction.

[@noelelnolo9642]

Wow! Im very impressed and will work on my ac soon. Thank u

[@freed6343]

Thanks for taking the time to create this video. Yes, I have done all of your suggestions at one time or another. I noticed loose screws when I had to replace my capacitor a couple of summers ago. I was surprised to find so many screws coming loose, and added a step that solved that problem, at least up to this point. Rather than just tightening the screws, I removed them and placed a touch of Loctite Blue on the threads before tightening them up (with a nut driver). NOTE: If you decide to do what I did, be sure to use the "blue" formula and NOT the "red" Loctite formula. Your video reminds me that it is time to wash my condenser coils again. It's been a couple of years. Thanks again for the informative video.

[@rickkcir9959]

Thank you for this video. It was loose and stripped screws, an easy fix. I bet a tech used his cordless to put this unit back together. Now my system is much quieter.

[@rickkcir9959]

​@@JThomas4793 The easiest way is to just use a bigger screw!! I could have drilled a new hole right next to the old one and then all the screws would be the same size. What I did do was shrink/deform/rework the existing wallowed out hole with a hammer and punch and then used the original screw to create a new thread in the shrunken hole.

[@rickkcir9959]

@@JThomas4793 I've tried that sort of repair. It does not stand up to the vibrations reliably and the next guy is going to have to deal with it all over again. The next guy may not even notice the fix and just loose the zip tie fragment. That's why I opted for a solution that didn't require different sized screws or any special attention after the fact. Once it's fixed, it's done. "Rivnuts" are pretty cool too.

[@vernah9]

See Ed Dr

[@garylangley4502]

One other thing is to check the bolts and rubber feet on the bottom of the compressor. The bolts can loosen and the feet can rot, all letting things rattle. The reduction in sound in this video is amazing!!!

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

I watched this and your cleaning video; I need to do both of these things, I’ve never cleaned my coils before, but I certainly will now! (And use my dB meter to check results.)

[@emanuelvanasse]

Most useful channel on my list. Will try your advices soon.

[@petersmart1999]

Pro tip,I always carry a box woth cerrated/knurled screws,they grip when tight,they are very hard to strip even with a screw gun.I always place a unit as far away from ears as possible and most new units are very quiet anyhow! 40 to 60 db

[@TonyLiveTV]

I live in Arizona and I installed a compressor blanket on both of my AC units over 22 years ago and the AC is still very quite and working great!

[@troy3456789]

That is good to know. I was wondering about heat buildup since it is a blanket.

[@zack9912000]

​@@troy3456789 It can absolutely damage your unit, Contact your units manufacturer before doing so.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yet it can’t and this man has had it on it for 22 years 😂

[@troy3456789]

@@zack9912000 It turns out to my surprise, my brand new ac unit has a blanket on the compressor already.

[@davehenderson6125]

This is excellent information. Thank you.

[@hottractor1999]

Holy cow! That's a huge difference!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I couldn't believe it personally.

[@oldschooldude8370]

Cleaning the condenser alone made my unit incredibly quieter. The side facing the house was pretty much fully covered from dust, grass & grime making the fan spin faster to keep the high side pressure within tolerance. Dropped the temp at the handler 2 degrees as well. Stays at 48 even when it's hot as hell.

[@betoxyz68]

If your goal is to only reduce noise, save the ~$300 on the soft start and compressor blanket and just clean the unit and tighten all the screws. Very informative video, thank you!

[@qingyuhu]

The compressor cover looks like it can keep the compressor out of the sun and weather, might be a worthy investment. Will have to do some condenser cleaning tomorrow, thanks for another great video.

[@rumrunner23]

Great video! A suggestion is to regularly check that the AC unit is level and not out of balance. Even just a small amount not level can harm the fan and make vibration noises. The cement platform under my AC unit became out of level due to rain and the AC unit made a loud whining sound. After I balanced the unit, it was quiet and happy again. Also, I installed a sound blanket and it really did reduce the noise.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

That’s also a fantastic tip! Very important. I was kind of surprised how well it worked. Thanks a lot for the input!

[@bryanwhitton1784]

@@HowToHomeDIY Just curious, any issues with heat buildup after installing the blanket?

[@JaimeSummers69]

​@@bryanwhitton1784 crickets....

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Sorry, I try to reply to as many comments as I can but just don’t always see them all. No, no issues with heat build up. The compressor is cooled with refrigerant. As long as the system’s refrigerant levels are good then there won’t be an issue. If the refrigerant levels are not where they should be then you are going to have an issue either way. Hope that answers your question.

[@bryanwhitton1784]

@@HowToHomeDIY I understand the available time issue. No worries. As for the answer, yes and it makes perfect sense. I was thinking in terms of an air compressor. The pump gets extremely hot during operation. But it doesn't have the advantage of having the fluid being worked on being very cold. Thank you,

[@servicetechnician3264]

Thanks for the tips and thanks for posting them! George B

[@GaryKrum]

Great Video!! Would you have a video about making your entire cooling system more effecient? Such as ducting, insulation, location etc...

[@greogesnote8507]

Thanks for all the great tips.

[@datsuntoyy]

It' amazing how quiet you got it. The goodmans in my house were ungodly loud when I moved in. Shake the walls loud. Replaced them with variable lennox right after we moved in. Not only are they wisper quiet, but cut the August electric bill from $599 to $199. Only issue I see is the blanket. Compressors get hot, they are placed in the middle to get max airflow. That blanket is a big insulator. I think I'd take the noise in that case.

[@xtrekadventure8225]

Compressors are cooled by suction gas.

[@datsuntoyy]

@@xtrekadventure8225 ever touched one running? Yea, no. The more heat absorbed by the suction side is more heat the condensor has to disapate thus reducing the efficiency of the system. I'd rather all the cooling effect go into cooling the house.

[@xtrekadventure8225]

@@datsuntoyy Your ignorance and unwillingness to research this topic before rambling off nonsense is upsetting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2PIqWWFra6LipI

[@andrewvinen7401]

​​@@datsuntoyy sorry are you saying a blanket is better then or not better for the cooling? Because I'm in Florida and the unit is in direct sunlight already for the first half of the day and I was thinking the blanket wouldn't help!

[@datsuntoyy]

@@andrewvinen7401 Compressors generate a lot of heat. The compressor is placed in the middle of the unit to take advantage of the airflow through the condenser coils. A blanket will make the compressor hotter and add work to the coils. The condenser coils should be dissipating the heat from your house, not the compressor. I would never run a blanket. Heat is bad. My ACs are in the direct sunlight from about 1100 on and up against a block wall. I had a screen enclosure built around the units to keep them shaded. The wall (and condenser frame temp) dropped by almost 40 degrees. I've seen that wall hit 160 in the AZ sun. If your have a screen frame built there must be two feet from unit to screen. there must be a foot open across the bottom of the screen enclosure and the top of the enclosure must be open. Anything you do to keep the units cool will extend life and reduce costs, deal with the compressor noise. Defiantly check for loose or missing screws. If any are stripped, get a self tapping slightly oversize My efforts on the AC work dropped the peak, August monthly build from $599 to $180.

[@skatershawn410]

I just recently cleaned the coils to mine on a house i just bought, the fines were nearly completely clogged with a think pad of dust and lint (it is RIGHT INFRONT of the dryer vent) and was so much quieter, and has reduced my electric bill!!

[@huanvanhuynh]

I backed the micro air soft start. That also helps to reduce the noise. But the main goal is to longevity your compressor and can run central AC with just generator. If u got 5 tons like mine. U can get away with 6kwh generator. I said earlier I backed it up because had mine for couple years now. And used it for solar backup battery to use the AC when power is out. Or just daily to extend a life of the compressor even 1 or 2 years out of it isn’t bad. Just hope one day manufacturers started to implement this soft start to all outdoor compressor.

[@davidgiesfeldt6650]

KUDOS! Great information. Sound is measured in Decibels. Each 3dB doubling is or halving. Moving to 98dB to 58dB is not 40% reduction other than the NUMBER of Decibels. Each 10dB change is a factor of 10x. Sound is 10x louder from 60>70dB. From 60>80dB 100x… so in your case of (rounding for conversation ease) 58dB to 98dB… 10,000 louder (or quieter) based on the scale! 😅. No matter the noise, the AC needs to be cleaned and maintained annually for prolonged life and reduced energy consumption. Great Vid, thanks.

[@zack9912000]

No, most of his info is not true, and his advice will damage your system.

[@stuhnah1]

Great vid, thanks for sharing !!

[@josephnorcalusa1710]

Helpful information, thank you bro !

[@bryantjones8039]

Wow, is was Very impressive and informative. Thank you.

[@smellfunny1864]

My Daikin Fit is super quiet and works really well.

[@jimbates6227]

My home uses geothermal and that completely eliminates the outside AC condenser and a chimney. I'd do that again in a heartbeat.

[@user-fk8dn7gv3h]

Thanks for your help!

[@T-RexArms82]

All your AC videos have been really helpful, thank you! I have a situation where the outside unit will at some point while running get super loud (so much so you can hear it in all areas of the house) and stop cooling, but still be running - I have to turn it off via the thermostat and then back on and it will sound normal - this probably happens daily and sometimes more than once a day. Any ideas on what the cause could be?

[@tiooito]

Great job with your videos thank you! Please allow me to give you my two cents… I have noticed on your AC videos the exterior sidings of you home it is very humid and a lot of green build up can be seen, I’m a painter by trade and typically I advise my customers to look for the cause of the humidity and if you can do something about it then you have another weekend project 😬, the other choice for the sidings of course pressure washing will help a lot too but don’t stop there, high level of humidity is the worse enemy of sidings and stucco it is recommended to re paint the exterior of your home/structure every 5/7 years that will extend the life of your exterior walls regardless of the materials that are made in the long road that’s a the cheapest way extend “the good looking” of your home exterior walls. Thank you again for your videos

[@clarencewiles963]

Just a note there are two units one is a Hard Start, the one showed is a Soft Start and is said to let your unit have a longer life, and give it the ability to use with a backup generator letting the amps build up slowly so you don’t blow a breaker.

[@jasontrewin123]

Goes to show you clean the unit really helps.

[@bobengelman1937]

Well done video, lots of great ideas ! Thanks !

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Really glad you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[@moej6014]

Ours is attached to the side of the house (new build, not on a concrete pad). It gets pretty loud in our bedroom. Hoping this will help with the noise at night.

[@vanwynn8193]

Thanks great job 🥰👍👏.

[@D.N.R.911]

Great tips, thanks

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome. Really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[@hotchihuahua1546]

It would seem covering the compressor for noise insulation would cause it to overheat by not being able to dissipate heat from the compressor while it is running . Everything else are good tips !

[@CP-mj8wd]

Great tips thanks for sharing hope you ha ve a video about installing the easystart

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I do. 2 of them actually but the most recent one is better.

[@mjerez123]

Great Channel and fantastic advices, just a quick question, the Compressor Sound Enclosure is not going to increase the working heath on the compressor, with the risk of fail in the future? . . . . . . Many Thanks!

[@alldecentnamestaken]

Great video and pretty amazing results! For kicks maybe consider putting some thick and heavy rubber washers between the screws and the grates. You should also look into some of the evaporative cooling mods (with a water softener) to see if they lower noise and energy use. I've never seen one of those properly reviewed.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

yeah great ideas! I was looking at those coil coolers. need to research them a little more. They look promising. Thanks a lot for the input Corey!

[@BobLester-mg4rt]

Tried by University of Alabama (. Huntsville). Chemicals will build up and or destroy the coils. Called a Fedco system, 1981-1983, fan cycling also tested good for refrigeration bad for a/c systems.

[@Mars-zgblbl]

An AC tech told me evaporative cooling would put the refrigerant into the wrong fluid phase

[@BobLester-mg4rt]

@@Mars-zgblbl EVAP cooling (using water) is used as misting for plants and producing humidity in meat packing rooms Never use on A/C coils except to clean or help de ice coils then only when the system is OFF and the incoming power is DISCONNECTED.

[@Mars-zgblbl]

@@BobLester-mg4rt good to know. Thanks Bob

[@eunicom]

Thanks for the great video on noise reduction and deep cleaning the AC. Got a question for you, not sure if you've come across this. Our AC makes a loud noise at the end of a cycle when the fan is stopping. Almost like car brakes screeching when you make a sudden hard stop. I've asked our AC guy about it previously but he said there's nothing wrong that he found... Anyway, just trying to get ideas. Will try to investigate it more when I get to deep cleaning our AC before summer hits.

[@Alansdadude]

I think cleaning the coil improves sound by opening the channels Up more, and that reduces the turbulent air noise. It won’t run at a different speed. That won’t change at all. Also good to note that noise frequencies matter. Some are obnoxious (compressor sounds take the cake) and some less so (the fan and air noise are way ness annoying) so while the db number on that simple app shows less benefit on some steps, curbing that compressor noise makes it sound less annoying.

[@DGTubbs]

5:50 I have one exactly like that. Except, the disconnect has been bypassed and the plug is lost. Bought the house like that. I think I will look into replacing the whole disconnect box.

[@lorimuslandsipper3287]

Thank you for the video, I appreciated all the details. Where do you buy a sound blanket at? I have a Carrier A/C, Model 24ABC6. Any idea where to buy or search for the one I need?

[@richardkawucha1232]

My Bryant a/c unit is over 35 years old. It came, from the factory, with a noise insulation blanket. My neighbors', on either side, a/c units do not have one of these. We have no problem talking, while 15' from our unit. The noise from my neighbors over powers mine. I remove the top (cover, fan, fan shroud) yearly. I clean the interior spaces, and with a hose clean the fins and coils (inside and out). In June our area gets inundated with cottonwood seeds flying. In no time they will clog your a/c fins. I keep ours clean. I noted your unit was showing signs of rust. When mine started to rust badly, I carefully (after removing the fuse block) removed the top, fan motor, shroud, protective screen. Then removed the paint and power brushed the sheetmetal parts. After protecting the fins/coils, I primed and spray painted everything with Rustoleum, in a color to match my house. After everything was dried, I reassembled it. Since we bought the unit it did have a line leak, which was repaired, and last year we needed to replace the fan motor. A bit of TLC has saved us tons of money and kept us cool.

[@21trips]

Since decibels are on a log 10 scale, you actually reduce the noise by a lot more than you think. It was over four times louder when you started.

[@rikardlalic7275]

8:25 dBA class noise measuring device should be used in reference to the human hearing experience measurements.

[@Thisishard2333]

So glad I came across this. Does this work for heat pumps?? Mine is a year old. Immaculately clean. Very loud on start up and shut down.Sounds like dragging a washing machine over concrete.Hint I use to buy simply green,pump sprayer. Best way to apply ever inside and outside

[@sloppydoggy9257]

I would put some rubber washers between some of those grates and the sheet body. As well, you could put some dynamat on some of that sheet metal which would remove a lot of vibration from the machine.

[@slotcarfan]

I put rubber washers under the legs that attach the motor cage to the top of the unit. Reduced vibration snd noise. My HVAC guy commented 'great idea.'

[@NoRoads2AllRoads]

Thats a major win. For those that don't know dB is a log scale... each 3 dB measurement is a 50% noise reduction. Therefore, if you reduced from 96dB to around 84 then you reduced your noise levels by 80-90%

[@NoRoads2AllRoads]

holy shit. i only saw the rest of the video after this first comment! So definitely 30+ db reduction thats amazing!! That's like reducing it 99%!!!!

[@Fluffywings84]

That log scale is actual reduction in sound pressure levels but from a human perception about ~10db reduction is a 50% perceived reduction in volume loudness. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness

[@beepbop6697]

Close. Every 10db is doubling (or halving) perceived loudness, not 3db. I think you are confusing with energy output (which 3db does indeed double/halve).

[@drclean04]

Great video !

[@schadowolf]

Great video and tips! Subbed.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback! Look forward to seeing you around the channel.

[@vincentdsnt]

I would suggest adding Gardner Bender OX-100B grease to the compressor terminals before adding the sound guard to the plug and terminals to protect from corrosion due to the added moisture held in by the cover.

[@troy3456789]

That compound on all the terminals seems like a good idea, even if you cannot do anything else to it.

[@vincentdsnt]

@@troy3456789 Yep...anytime i was under the fan to the compressor I lubed the terminals. When I installed my home unit I Oxgarded every connection. Now I am jinxing myself ! I did tech work for 26 years it works.

[@troy3456789]

@@vincentdsnt I was thinking that pure silicone dielectric terminal grease might be best for this, because it is for extreme high temperatures, but the oxgard stuff might just be slightly better. The dielectric grease is what I use in low voltage connections all over my vehicle, and in all the connections for my surveillance cameras, and for all my coaxial connections. Gardner Bender OX-100B seems like a great idea for this particular application.

[@pipi7731]

In the first part of the video you tightened the screws holding the fan motor mounting screen, if you put rubber washers under those screws it will help a lot and it will cut vibration also.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Appreciate the tip!

[@elmonte7834]

Thank you for this video. Awesome content.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I am really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[@antoniiocaluso1071]

adding rubber washers between screw heads and grille/enclosure helps ALOT! modern condensers are best mounted on rubber standoffs, and not-so-hard to retrofit*! Old FL-ECOhome Designer/Builder here with a question, please :-)... adding external SHADING STRUCTURES, and PAINTING the grille/enclosures (with white gloss paint?)? Thanks so much! This FL-Summer is waaaay-hot, and even placing the condenser on the North-side still exposes it to relentlessly hot sun 12+ hr/day. Whewwww.... *required Hurricane "hold-downs" do require some "work-arounds", though :-)

[@soleilsoleil8287]

Super video 😊

[@OptimizeYourHealthPhD]

Thanks for the video. My issue seems to be vibration on pipes going into the wall really making awfully loud noise. Was thinking of using a foam of some type to spray in there but worrying about the impact to the metal pipes being surrounded by the foam???

[@mikecook8871]

I have the same issue with a new build. Did you shoot some foam in there?

[@OptimizeYourHealthPhD]

I actually installed a new ondesor which isa much smoother and very quiet. Good for now!! @@mikecook8871

[@Sam-om8ph]

I haven’t read through all of the comments so someone may have mentioned this. dB is a measure of sound pressure. Since sound POWER is logarithmic, foe each 3 dB reduction in sound pressure, you reduce the sound power by 1/2. A 10 dB reduction is quite significant. The reason for the sound dropping after cleaning is the elimination of turbulence of air flow through the fins. Not only does air turbulence generate create noise, it can induce vibration on the fins which is then transmitted to the housing. Fin vibration can also induce metal fatigue and over time, potentially cause heat exchanger failure.

[@RayleighCriterion]

Change in dB Change in Sound Intensity/Energy An increase of 3 dB doubled A decrease of 3 dB halved An increase of 10 dB Increased by a factor of 10 A decrease of 10 dB Decreased by a factor of 10 An increase of 20 dB Increased by a factor of 100 A decrease of 20 dB Decreased by a factor of 100

[@TyGamer125]

@@RayleighCriterion You also have to factor in frequency since volume changes at various frequencies are perceived as double at different amounts. This was figured out by Fletcher and Munson and can be looked up if you search Equal Loudness contour curve. Generally we perceive a doubling between 6-10db except in the bass region.

[@barry8215]

In most cases the reason cleaning lowers dBs doesn’t have much to do with air noise or turbulence. The majority of offensive noise is a lower frequency coming from the compressor working harder due to high head pressure. Cleaning the coil dramatically improves heat removal and lowers amp draw allowing the compressor to run more quiet.

[@ispeed1]

Thanks for these great ideas! I was wondering if the condenser jacket would work in the dry heat of Mojave desert? Can it cause the unit to overheat? Thanks for any reply!

[@Thisishard2333]

Ok got a question. I have a carrier heat pump. Bought the sound jacket. 2 minute job to install.Great quality.Very thick and perfect fit.Helped some.It’s immaculately clean. Needs a little more help. Can I use a soft start on a heat pump?? When it start up it sounds like someone dragging a washing machine on concrete .The pump is in the back of the house and the air handler in the front. It’s a long run for the Freon line. Would this cause more noise on start up and shut down?

[@MrJ1ufo]

Great video, my issue is having a loud HVAC unit. It faces our family room, very loud when in use. I was think about replacing the hollow door with a solid one and maybe some sound barrier padding inside. Any thoughts? or ideas?

[@DRawwrrr]

Density stops sound way more effectively than foam so go for the solid door and seal up any cracks around it

[@beepbop6697]

Any concerns with that insulated condenser blanket causing the condenser to overheat and prematurely wear it out? 105 temps here in TX and I'd be very skeptical about putting more heat load on this thing...

[@thekeithbutts]

The strip at the bottom of the blanket is for the crank case heater.

[@sirtainlee8725]

Would it make sense to use lock washer/ star washer or some lock-tite on the loose screws?

[@hg2.]

Good to know. 👍👍👍

[@gregoryc.8348]

❤😂love your style of teaching thank you for your service would you be kind of making q video related sprinkler system pump as why motor runs hot or. Max load is 19.9/5 and it's set on mine as split two twenty amp using face a and face b equal to 40 amps attached to a clip on the two twenty amp breakers. Question why breakers are hot??? Unit it's been running over four years however I'm sorry if I should swap breakers to a 25 and replacing wires instead of 14 to a 10 please help. Thanks G.C

[@davidunwin7868]

Over 85dB is enough to damage hearing. My minisplits run at 45dB. Super quiet!

[@NatiDeNut]

Amazing!

[@haydest]

I'm going to check out my ac unit this weekend, thanks! What phone app did you use to measure the sound?

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! It’s just called dB meter in the apple App Store.

[@tinky2jed]

Hi. I'm going to do your cleaning steps and quieting tricks. I have a question I'm hoping you can answer. Our compressor pad is at an angle (not level) - Can this causes problem including extra noise? Is it a problem or will it be fine like it is?

[@StefanGBucher]

My main issue is a super loud start, and then vibration coming into the walls of the building. Would those rubber compressor “coasters” help, do you think?

[@joshuaborem7063]

is the compressro blanket bad for it- in the way of keeping the compressor hotter?

[@raidone7413]

When you put on an insulating sound blanket like that, a concern would be built up compressor heat. One way the compressor is cooled is by the low pressure vapor line, but it its also cooled by the airflow across it. Is there any HVAC technician out there who have taken discharge temps before and after the sound blanket? It seems like a good idea but it is concerning for the compressors health with less heat dissipation

[@TheRubernck21]

that compressor blanket looks cool. Would this be an issue say with someone living in Arizona or Kansas?

[@tabbycat8511]

Oustanding video. ❤

[@rodneypreijers9129]

Thank you for the video. I was looking for something to help me wash all of my ac coils and came across yours. Very practical and informative. Im interested in the Micro-Air product and applying it to an old unit (like installed in 1999). Would you have any reservations? Im trying to mitigate the compressor getting slammed in every time cool air is called for and simply for a reduction in noise for the neighbors since my Rheem 3 ton package unit (ac & heating) is mounted on my roof. I appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I personally think everyone should have a soft start kit. I am going to be making a new video on it soon but soft start kits are going to extend the life of the compressor, quiet down the ac unit, makes it much easier to be run by a generator if desired, and it also acts as a surge protector and will sacrifice itself in the event of a surge so that the AC unit is not damaged. For $300 I felt it was a no brainer. I appreciate all of the feedback Rodney!

[@rodneypreijers9129]

Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate your thoughts and perspective. I don’t have a need to run my unit off of a generator since power is stable where I live. Extending the life of the compressor sounds appealing though. Keep up the good work.

[@rodneypreijers9129]

Well, I cleaned the evaporator and condenser coils over the past weekend. I couldn’t believe how dirty they were. I also installed the micro air easy start and have no regrets. I did contact the tech support at micro air before I installed it and they were extremely helpful. Thanks again for the tips.

[@camaromustangmods3327]

I have a Goodman unit. Do they make these blankets for the compressor specific to models or are they universal? Do you have a link? Excellent video. What a difference.

[@wholeNwon]

My Goodmans came with compressor blankets installed....Copeland scroll compressors.