Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator noisy

Strange noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. That means our repairmen know just how to troubleshoot the problem and repair it. Call United Lynn Appliance Repair today! The #1 Lynn refrigerator repair service.

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

There are one or two basic things that need to be checked. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that is too will often result in glass jars and other food items to clink together. This will cause a lot of annoying noises inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally creating a small vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water line connected, be positive you shut off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There’s typically a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to turn off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to lift the bar. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall, it could cause the standard running sound to seem much louder than it is. This is due to the echo of the noise of the appliance. Move it out a little from the wall and then see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

If it’s not any of these simple and common fixes, it is time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. Often times the fan motors do too. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Often times the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust or fuzz on it and needs to be cleaned regularly. If the coating builds up and gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside of the refrigerator 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 need to have a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off. As soon as it is off you’ll see a fan inside. If it is full of dirt and dust, take a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should check the coils too. The coils are usually right there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a few minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common problem that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do they spin easily? If not 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. But, before attempting this, ensure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t typically the issue, as this particular fan is concealed by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to look.

If it is possible it might be the compressor, the large, typically black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we advise calling United Lynn Appliance Repair. That is not a repair a homeowner should attempt.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES