Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our technicians know exactly how to troubleshoot the issue and repair it. Call Esteem Appliance Repair today! The #1 refrigerator repair.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your kitchen seems to be a little noisier than it usually is there are a few easy things that you can check while attempting to find the cause. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that might create strange sounds. The appliance might also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is making ice, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are a few basic components that should be checked. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too might result in glass containers and other food items to clink together. This will create a lot of unpleasant sounds inside the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally creating a small vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water connected, be positive you turned off the dispenser and the ice maker. There is typically a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to shut off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to lift the metal bar. If the refrigerator was installed near a wall, it might cause the normal running sound to seem louder than it is. This is due to the echoing of the sound of the machine. Move the refrigerator out away from the kitchen wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches from the rear wall to lower the sound.

If it isn’t one of these simple and common fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the fans are the cause of a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that can get dirty and clogged. Often times the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Sometimes the condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and needs to be cleaned often. If it gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is to unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is usually located in the back of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want to have a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel. As soon as it’s exposed you will see a fan in there. If it’s full of dirt and dust, find a rag and gently clean it off. While you’re in there check the coils as well. These are usually near there and covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a common issue that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the blades spin easily? If not the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy repair, as the fan assembly is typically a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before attempting any of this, ensure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t typically the issue, as this fan is concealed by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to check.

If you think it could be the compressor, the big, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator by the coils, we suggest calling Esteem Appliance Repair. That isn’t a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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