Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. This means our technicians know just how to diagnose the problem and fix it. Call Roy Appliance Repair today! The #1 California refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a little noisier than it usually is there are some easy place that you can look at while trying to find the cause. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that could create loud noises. The appliance could also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor that’s wearing out. If your refrigerator is much noisier when the ice maker is operating, the noises might be from a broken a water valve.

There are a few basic things that must be be checked first. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too will often cause glass jars and other food items to clink and clank together. This can create a lot of unpleasant sounds inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and naturally producing a small vibration.

If you have a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water hooked up, be positive you shut off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the water dispenser that can be used to turn off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to pull up the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed right by a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard running noise to seem much louder. This is because of the echoing of the sound of the appliance. Pull it out from the kitchen wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the rear wall to reduce the sound.

If it isn’t any of these basic and easy fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Often times the condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned often. If it builds up and gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is usually located behind the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it’s off you’ll notice a fan behind it. If it’s full of dirt and dust, find a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils as well. The coils are usually near there and covered in the same dust and grime 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 a common problem that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they spin easily? If they don’t the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple repair, as the fan assembly is typically a component that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before doing this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer unit. This is not usually the problem, as this particular fan is protected inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the place to check.

If it’s possible that it could be the refrigerator compressor, the big, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator near the coils, we advise calling Roy Appliance Repair. That isn’t 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