Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. This means our technicians know just how to troubleshoot the issue and fix it. Call Patriot Appliance Repair today! The #1 Old Bridge refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your home is a bit louder than it usually is there are a couple of simple things that you can check while attempting to find the answer. There are many fans on a home refrigerator that might create loud noises. The refrigerator might also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is much noisier when the ice maker is operating, the noises could be a broken a water valve.

There are a few basic things that should be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too can cause glass jars and other foods and liquids 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 model of 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 dispenser and ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to turn off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you just need to pull up the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall, it might cause the standard operating sound to seem louder than it really is. This is because of the echoing of the sound of the refrigerator. Slide the refrigerator out away from the wall and see if that helps at all. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches from the rear wall to lower the sound.

If it isn’t one of these basic and common fixes, it is time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and then should be cleaned on a regular basis. If the dust gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will need a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. As soon as it is exposed you’ll 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 you should check the coils too. The coils are usually near there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils only takes a few minutes but it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

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

If you think it might be the compressor, the large, usually gray or black object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling Patriot 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