Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator loud noises

Strange sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our technicians know exactly how to troubleshoot the issue and repair it. Call One Call Appliance Repair today! The #1 Cary refrigerator repair service.

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

There are one or two obvious things that need to be checked. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too will often cause glass containers and other foods and liquids to clink and clank together. This will create a lot of unpleasant noises inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and creating a small vibration.

If you have a model of refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water line hooked up, be sure you shut off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There is typically a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to turn off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed near a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the normal operating noise to seem a lot louder than it is. This is because of the echoing of the sound of the refrigerator. Move it out a bit from the wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches from the rear wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

If it’s not one of these basic and easier fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. Sometimes the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and then should be cleaned regularly. If it 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 to have a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel. Once off you’ll notice a fan inside. If it is full of dirt and dust, grab a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you’re in there look at the coils too. These are usually right there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils only takes a few minutes and it will 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 they don’t the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is usually a component that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before attempting any of 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 fan is protected inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that is the area to check.

If you think it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, usually gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we advise calling One Call Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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