Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

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

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your kitchen is a little louder than it usually is there are a few easy place that you can look at while attempting to find the answer. There are many fans on a home refrigerator that might create strange noises. The refrigerator might also not be balanced too. Or you could have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is noisier when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are some basic things that should be checked first. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that is too will often result in glass containers and other items to clink and clank together. This can cause a lot of loud sounds inside of the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is running and producing a small vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water connected, be sure you turned off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to turn off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you just need to lift the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall, it could cause the standard running sound to seem a lot louder than it really is. This is a result of the echoing of the noise of the refrigerator. Move the refrigerator out a bit from the wall and then see if that helps or not. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to limit the noise.

If it isn’t any of these basic and common fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the cause of a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. There are times the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Many times the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and should be cleaned often. If the dust builds up and gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is to unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is typically located in the rear of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. Once exposed you will 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 check the coils too. These are typically near there and will be full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a few minutes but it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do they spin easily? If they don’t the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy repair, as the fan assembly is usually a component that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before you do this, be sure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is typically located behind the freezer. This is not usually the problem, as this fan is concealed by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that is the area to look.

If it’s possible that it might be the refrigerator compressor, the big, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator by the coils, we advise calling Able Reading Appliance Repair. That’s 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