Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. This means our technicians know exactly how to troubleshoot the issue and fix it. Call Manchester Appliance Repair today! The #1 Manchester refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your kitchen is a bit noisier than normal there are a few easy place that you can look at while trying to find the cause. There are several fans on a refrigerator that might create strange noises. The appliance could also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is louder when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious things that need to be checked. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too will often cause glass bottles and other food items to clink together. This will create a lot of annoying sounds inside the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is on and naturally creating a small vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water connected, be positive you shut off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s typically a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to turn off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed near a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard operating noise to seem a lot louder. This is due to the echo of the sound of the refrigerator. Slide it out from the kitchen wall and see if that helps at all. A refrigerator should be around 2 inches away from the back wall to reduce the noise.

If it’s not one of these simple and common fixes, it’s time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Many times the condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and then should be cleaned on a regular basis. If it gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. Most of the time you will want to have a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. Once off you will notice a fan behind it. If it’s covered in dirt and dust, take a rag and gently wipe it off. While you’re in there you should check the coils too. These are usually right there and full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common problem that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

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

If you think it could be the compressor, the big, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling Manchester 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