Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our repairmen know just how to troubleshoot the issue and repair it. Call Cardinal Appliance Repair today! The #1 refrigerator repair.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your kitchen seems to be a little noisier than it usually is there are some easy things that you can check while trying to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a refrigerator that often create strange noises. The appliance could also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is working, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious components that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too will often cause glass jars and other foods and liquids to clink together. This will create a lot of loud noises inside the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and thereby producing a small vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water connected, be positive you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to shut off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you just need to lift the bar. If the refrigerator was installed near a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the standard operating noise to seem much louder. This is due to the echoing of the noise of the appliance. Slide the refrigerator out a bit from the kitchen wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator should be around 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to reduce the sound.

If it is not any of these basic and easier fixes, it’s time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. Often times the fan motors do too. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and needs to be cleaned regularly. If the coating builds up and gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel. Once exposed you’ll see a fan in there. If it’s full of dirt and dust, get 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 will be full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they spin freely? If not the fan motor bearings are broken. 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 you do this, ensure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer. This is not typically the issue, as this particular fan is concealed within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to look.

If you think it could be the compressor, the big, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling Cardinal Appliance Repair. That’s 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