Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

loud noises of refrigerator

Loud sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. This means {we|our technicians know exactly how to troubleshoot the problem and fix it. Call Elite Honolulu Appliance Repair today! The #1 Honolulu refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home is a little noisier than usual there are some simple place that you can check while trying to find the cause. There are a lot of fans on a refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The appliance might also not be level too. Or you might have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is making ice, the noises could be from a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious components that must be be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too could result in glass jars and other items to clink together. This will cause a lot of annoying sounds inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and thereby creating a small vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water line connected, be sure you turned off the dispenser and the ice maker. There is usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you just need to pull up the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall, it might cause the standard operating noise to seem much louder. This is because of the echo of the noise of the appliance. Slide it out a little away from the wall and then see if that helps or not. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

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

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is typically located in the rear of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off. Once off you will see a fan inside. If it’s covered in dust and dirt, find a rag and gently clean it off. While you are in there look at the coils too. These are typically right there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a few minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a common issue that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do they spin freely? If not the fan motor bearings are not working. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is typically a component that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before doing this, ensure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This is not usually the issue, as this fan is concealed within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to look.

If you think it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling Elite Honolulu Appliance Repair. That isn’t a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES