Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our repairmen know exactly how to diagnose the issue and repair it. Call Pearson Appliance Repair today! The #1 CITY refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home seems to be a bit louder than it usually is there are a couple of simple things that you can look at while attempting to find the answer. There are a lot of fans on a refrigerator that might create loud noises. The appliance could also not be level too. Or you might have a compressor that’s wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is operating, the sounds might be a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of basic components that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too might result in glass bottles and other items to clink and clank together. This will create a lot of annoying noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and thereby producing a minor vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water line hooked up, be sure you turned off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s typically a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to shut off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the metal bar. If the refrigerator is installed very close to a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard operating noise to seem louder than it really is. This is a result of the echoing of the noise of the refrigerator. Move it out away from the wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to limit the sound.

If it’s not any of these simple and easier fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and then should be cleaned regularly. If it builds up and gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is typically located in the back of the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel. As soon as it is off you will see a fan inside. If it’s full of dirt and dust, grab a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there look at the coils too. The coils are usually near there and covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a few minutes and it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a common issue that sometimes causes 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 repair, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before doing any of this, ensure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is typically located behind the freezer. This is not typically 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 refrigerator that is the area to look.

If it’s possible that it could be the refrigerator compressor, the large, usually gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Pearson Appliance Repair. That’s 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