Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. This means our technicians know exactly how to diagnose the issue and repair it. Call New Rochelle Appliance Repair ASAP today! The #1 New Rochelle refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home seems to be a little noisier than normal there are some simple place that you can check while trying to find the cause. There are several fans on a standard refrigerator that could create loud noises. The appliance might also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is operating, the noises could be from a broken a water valve.

There are a few obvious things that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too can result in glass bottles and other items to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of annoying sounds inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally creating a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water line connected, be positive you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the dispenser that can be used to turn off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to lift the bar. If the refrigerator was installed really close to a wall, it can cause the standard operating sound to seem much louder. This is a result of the echoing of the sound of the appliance. Slide the refrigerator out a little from the kitchen wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be close to 2 inches away from the rear wall to limit the sound.

If it is not any of these simple and easy fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the fans are the reason for a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do too. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Sometimes the condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and needs to be cleaned often. If the coating builds up and gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want to have a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off. Once off you will see a fan behind it. If it’s covered in dirt and dust, take a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should check the coils as well. These are usually right there and will be full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a few minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run 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 do not the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is typically a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before trying this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t typically the problem, as this particular fan is protected within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that is the place to look.

If you think it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we suggest calling New Rochelle Appliance Repair ASAP. That is not a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Ice Maker Not Working
• Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling