Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our technicians know just how to diagnose the issue and repair it. Call Brentwood Appliance Repair today! The #1 Brentwood refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your kitchen seems to be a little noisier than usual there are some easy things that you can look at while attempting to find the answer. There are many fans on a standard refrigerator that might create strange noises. The refrigerator might also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is making ice, the noises could be a broken a water valve.

There are a few basic things that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too might cause glass jars and other food items to clink and clank together. This can cause a lot of unpleasant sounds inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is on and creating a small vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water line hooked up, be sure you turned 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 shut off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed very close to a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the standard operating noise to seem a lot louder. This is due to the echoing of the noise of the machine. Slide the refrigerator out a bit from the wall and see if that helps at all. A refrigerator should be around 2 inches from the rear wall of the kitchen to reduce the sound.

If it’s not one of these simple and common fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Sometimes the condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned regularly. If the coating builds up and gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off. As soon as it’s exposed you will see a fan in there. If it is full of dust and dirt, grab a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. These are typically near there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a few minutes and it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the fan blades spin easily? If they do not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple repair, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before you do this, ensure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer. This isn’t usually the problem, as this particular fan is concealed within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the place to check.

If it’s possible that it could be the compressor, the big, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling Brentwood Appliance Repair. That is 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