Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. This means our technicians know just how to diagnose the issue and fix it. Call Same-Day Skokie Appliance Repair today! The #1 Skokie refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your home 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 answer. There are many fans on a standard refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The refrigerator might also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is noisier when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious components that need to be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too can sometimes cause glass jars and other items to clink together. This will cause a lot of unpleasant noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and creating a minor vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water hooked up, be sure you shut off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the water dispenser that can be used to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to pull up the bar. If the refrigerator was installed right by a wall, it might cause the normal operating noise to seem louder. This is because of the echoing of the noise of the refrigerator. Pull it out a little away from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps at all. A refrigerator needs to be about 2 inches away from the back wall to lower the sound.

If it isn’t any of these basic and common fixes, it is 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 will often get dirty and clogged. Often times the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and then needs to be cleaned often. If it builds up and gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel. As soon as it’s exposed you will notice a fan behind it. If it’s full of dirt and dust, get a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there look at the coils as well. The coils are usually near there and will be covered in the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils only takes a couple of minutes but it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do the blades spin easily? If they do not the fan motor bearings are not working. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is usually a component that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before attempting any of this, ensure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer. This isn’t usually the problem, as this particular fan is protected by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to look.

If you think it could be the compressor, the large, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Same-Day Skokie Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Ice Maker Not Working
• Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling