Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls for appliance repair in El Paso. That means our technicians know exactly how to diagnose the issue and fix it. Call Frontier Appliance Repair today! The #1 refrigerator repair.

A loud refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your home is a little louder than normal there are a couple of easy place that you can check while attempting to find the answer. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The refrigerator could also not be balanced too. Or you could have a compressor wearing out. If your refrigerator is louder when the ice maker is operating, the noises could be from a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious components that need to be checked. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too will often result in glass bottles and other food items to clink together. This will cause a lot of annoying sounds inside of the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is on and producing a minor vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water line hooked up, be sure you shut off the water dispenser and ice maker. There is usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to turn off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you need to lift the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard operating noise to seem louder than it really is. This is because of the echo of the noise of the refrigerator. Move it out a little away from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps or not. A refrigerator needs to be close to 2 inches away from the back wall to lower the noise.

If it’s not any of these simple and easy fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the fans are the cause of a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that sometimes get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and needs to be cleaned often. If it gets too heavy it can 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 get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it is exposed you’ll see a fan in there. If it is covered in dirt and dust, get a rag and gently clean it off. While you are in there check the coils too. The coils are typically near there and full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a few minutes but it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a common problem that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the blades spin freely? If they do not it means the fan motor bearings are not working. This is a simple repair, as the fan assembly is typically a part that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before doing any of this, ensure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer. This is not usually the issue, as this particular fan is concealed by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the area to look.

If it is possible it could be the refrigerator compressor, the big, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we advise calling Frontier Appliance Repair. That isn’t 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