Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. That means we know exactly how to troubleshoot the problem and correct it. Call Hale Appliance Repair today! The #1 CITY refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a little louder than normal there are a few simple place that you can check while attempting to find the answer. There are many fans on a refrigerator that often create strange noises. The refrigerator could also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is noisier when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of basic things that need to be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too might cause glass jars and other food items to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of loud noises inside of the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is on and producing 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 connected, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There’s typically a button on the water dispenser that can be pressed to shut off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to lift the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall, it will sometimes cause the standard operating noise to seem a lot louder than it is. This is because of the echo of the noise of the appliance. Slide the refrigerator out from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps or not. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to reduce the sound.

If it is not any of these basic and easier 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 sometimes get clogged and dirty. Often times the fan motors do as well. There’s 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 should be cleaned on a regular basis. If the dust gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want to have a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off. As soon as it is off you’ll see a fan inside. If it’s full of dirt and dust, grab a rag and gently clean it off. While you are in there look at the coils too. These are typically right there and will be covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is a common issue that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the fan blades spin freely? If they don’t it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy repair, as the fan assembly is typically a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before you do any of this, be sure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer. This is not typically the problem, as this fan is protected inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to look.

If you think it could be the refrigerator compressor, the large, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling Hale Appliance Repair. That is not 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