Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. This means our repairmen know just how to diagnose the issue and fix it. Call Pride Appliance Repair today! The #1 refrigerator repair.

A loud refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your kitchen seems to be a little noisier than usual there are a few simple place that you can check while trying to find the answer. There are many fans on a home refrigerator that might create strange sounds. The refrigerator could also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is working, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of obvious things that should be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too might result in glass jars and other food items to clink together. This can cause a lot of loud sounds inside the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and thereby creating a small vibration.

If you have a model of refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water line connected, be positive you shut off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the water dispenser that can be used to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to lift the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed right by a wall, it will sometimes cause the normal operating sound to seem much louder than it really is. This is because of the echoing of the noise of the appliance. Pull the refrigerator out away from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps at all. A refrigerator should be around 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to limit the sound.

If it’s not any of these simple and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Often times the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and then should be cleaned on a regular basis. If the coating gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside of the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel. As soon as it’s off you will notice a fan behind it. If it’s covered in dirt and dust, find a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should check the coils too. These are usually near there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a few minutes and it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the fan blades spin freely? If not the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before you do this, ensure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer. This is not typically the issue, as this particular fan is protected inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to check.

If it’s possible it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, usually gray or black object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we advise calling Pride Appliance Repair. That is not 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