Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our repairmen know just how to troubleshoot the problem and repair it. Call McBride Appliance Repair today! The #1 refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house is a little noisier than normal there are a few easy things that you can check while trying to find the cause. There are a lot of fans on a refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The refrigerator might also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is louder when the ice maker is making ice, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious things that must be be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too might cause glass containers and other items to clink together. This can create a lot of unpleasant noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is running and thereby producing a minor vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water connected, be positive you shut off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There is usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to shut off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you just need to lift the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed near a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the standard operating noise to seem a lot louder than it is. This is due to the echo of the noise of the machine. Slide it out a bit from the kitchen wall and see if that helps. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to reduce the noise.

If it is not 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 sometimes get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Many times the condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned often. If the dust builds up and gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside 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 behind the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. As soon as it’s off you’ll notice a fan behind it. If it’s full of dirt and dust, grab a cloth and gently clean it off. While you’re in there you should look at the coils as well. The coils are usually right there and full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils only takes a few minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is a very common issue that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they spin freely? If they don’t the fan motor bearings are not working. This is an easy repair, as the fan assembly is typically a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before you do this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer unit. This is not typically the problem, as this particular fan is protected by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to check.

If it is possible that it could be the refrigerator compressor, the big, usually gray or black object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling McBride 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