Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. This means our technicians know just how to diagnose the problem and repair it. Call Chesapeake Appliance Repair today! The #1 Chesapeake refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a bit noisier than normal there are a couple of simple things that you can check while attempting to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The refrigerator could also not be level too. Or you might have a compressor that’s wearing out. If your refrigerator is louder when the ice maker is operating, the noises might be from a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of obvious components that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that is too can sometimes result in glass jars and other items to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of annoying noises inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and producing a minor vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water line connected, be positive you shut off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you just need to lift the metal bar. If the refrigerator is installed right by a wall, it could cause the normal operating noise to seem a lot louder. This is a result of the echoing of the noise of the appliance. Pull it out a bit from the wall and then see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to limit the noise.

If it’s not any of these basic and easier fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the condenser fan will get a coating of dust or fuzz on it and then should be cleaned often. 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

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 to have a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. Once off you will see a fan behind it. If it’s full of dirt and dust, take a rag and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. These are typically right there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a few minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do the fan blades spin easily? If they don’t the fan motor bearings are not working. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before trying this, be sure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer. This isn’t usually the issue, as this particular fan is protected by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the place to look.

If you think it could be the compressor, the big, usually black or gray object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Chesapeake Appliance Repair. That is not 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