Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. That means our technicians know exactly how to diagnose the issue and repair it. Call United Appliance Repair today! The #1 Union City refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a little louder than normal there are some easy place that you can check while trying to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that could create loud noises. The appliance could also not be balanced too. Or you could have a compressor that’s wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious things that must be be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too could result in glass containers and other items to clink together. This will create a lot of annoying noises inside the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and thereby creating a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water hooked up, be sure you shut off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s typically a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to shut off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you need to lift the bar. If the refrigerator is installed really close to a wall, it can cause the normal running sound to seem much louder than it is. This is a result of the echo of the noise of the machine. Pull it out from the wall and then see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to lower the sound.

If it isn’t any of these basic and easier fixes, it is time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the fans are the cause of 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. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust or fuzz on it and then should be cleaned often. If it gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is typically located in the rear of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it’s exposed you will see a fan in there. If it’s covered in dust and dirt, take a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you’re in there you should check the coils as well. These are typically near there and covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do they spin easily? If not the fan motor bearings are not working. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is typically a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before attempting this, ensure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is typically located behind the freezer. This is not typically the issue, as this particular fan is protected by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that is the place to check.

If you think it could be the refrigerator compressor, the big, usually gray or black object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we suggest calling United Appliance Repair. That is 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