Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. This means we know just how to diagnose the problem and correct it. Call Warner Appliance Repair today! The #1 CITY refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your house is a bit louder than normal there are a few easy place that you can check while attempting to find a solution. There are many fans on a refrigerator that might create loud sounds. The refrigerator could also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is much louder when the ice maker is making ice, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are a few obvious components that should be checked. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that is too might result in glass bottles and other food items to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of loud noises inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is on and thereby producing a minor vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water connected, be positive you shut off the dispenser and the ice maker. There is almost always a button on the water dispenser that can be used to shut off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to lift the metal bar. If the refrigerator was installed very close to a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard operating sound to seem louder. This is due to the echo of the sound of the appliance. Pull the refrigerator out from the kitchen wall and see if that helps. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches from the rear wall of the kitchen to reduce the noise.

If it isn’t any of these basic and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the cause of a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and should be cleaned on a regular basis. If the coating gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is usually located in the rear of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want to have a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. As soon as it’s off you will notice a fan behind it. If it is full of dirt and dust, grab a cloth and gently clean it off. While you’re in there look at the coils as well. The coils are usually right there and will be covered in the same dust and grime 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 very common issue that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do they spin easily? If they do not it means the fan motor bearings are not working. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before attempting this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer. This is not typically the problem, as this particular fan is concealed by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to check.

If it’s possible it could be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Warner Appliance Repair. That isn’t a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Ice Maker Not Working
• Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling