Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator loud noises

Strange sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. That means our technicians know exactly how to diagnose the issue and repair it. Call Select Appliance Repair today! The #1 refrigerator repair.

A loud refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your house is a bit noisier than it usually is there are a couple of simple place that you can look at while trying to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that often create loud noises. The appliance could also not be balanced too. Or you could have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is working, the noises might be a broken a water valve.

There are some basic things that need to be checked first. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too can cause glass containers and other items to clink and clank together. This can cause a lot of unpleasant sounds inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and thereby creating a small vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water line hooked up, be positive you turned off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser that can be used to turn off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to lift the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed really close to a wall, it can sometimes cause the normal operating sound to seem a lot louder than it really is. This is because of the echo of the noise of the appliance. Move the refrigerator out a bit from the wall and then see if that helps. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to limit the sound.

If it’s not one of these basic and easier fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that will often get clogged and dirty. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. If the dust gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will need to have a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. Once exposed you will notice a fan behind it. If it is covered in dust and dirt, grab a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there look at the coils as well. These are typically near there and full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a couple of minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a common problem that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do they spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is typically a part that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before doing this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t typically the issue, as this fan is protected within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to check.

If you think it might be the compressor, the large, usually black or gray object under the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling Select Appliance Repair. That is not a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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