Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator loud noises

Loud sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. That means our repairmen know exactly how to troubleshoot the issue and fix it. Call Avondale Appliance Repair Experts today! The #1 Avondale refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your home is a bit noisier than normal there are a few simple things that you can check while trying to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a standard refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The appliance might also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is working, the noises could be a broken a water valve.

There are one or two basic components that must be be checked. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that is too could result in glass jars and other items to clink and clank together. This can create a lot of loud sounds inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally producing a minor vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water connected, be positive you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s typically a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to shut off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to lift the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall, it will sometimes cause the normal operating sound to seem a lot louder than it is. This is due to the echo of the noise of the appliance. Pull it out from the kitchen wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches from the rear wall of the kitchen to lower the sound.

If it’s not any of these basic and easier fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the fans are the cause of a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. Often times the fan motors do too. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. If the coating gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator 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 back of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will need to have a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off. Once exposed you will see a fan behind it. If it is full of dirt and dust, take a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. These are usually right there and full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a common problem that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they spin easily? If they don’t it means the fan motor bearings are not working. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is typically a unit that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before you do this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t typically the issue, as this fan is concealed inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to check.

If you think it could be the compressor, the large, usually gray or black object under the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling Avondale Appliance Repair Experts. That’s not a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES