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 just how to troubleshoot the issue and repair it. Call Elizabeth Appliance Repair today! The #1 Elizabeth refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a little noisier than usual there are a couple of simple place that you can look at while attempting to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that could create strange noises. The appliance might also not be balanced too. Or you could have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is operating, the sounds might be a broken a water valve.

There are one or two basic components that should be checked. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that is too could cause glass bottles and other food items to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of annoying noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and naturally producing a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water hooked up, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to turn off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you need to lift the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed really close to a wall, it could cause the standard operating noise to seem louder than it is. This is because of the echo of the noise of the appliance. Pull the refrigerator out a bit away from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps or not. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the sound.

If it is not one of these simple and common fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. Often times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Often times the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and needs to be cleaned regularly. 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

The first thing to do is to unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is usually located in the rear of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel. Once off you’ll see a fan in there. If it is covered in dust and dirt, grab a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there check the coils too. These are typically right there and will be covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do they spin easily? If not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple repair, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before you do any of this, ensure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer. This isn’t usually the issue, as this fan is concealed inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that is the place to check.

If it is possible it could be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Elizabeth Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should attempt.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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