Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

loud noises of refrigerator

Loud sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. That means our technicians know just how to diagnose the problem and fix it. Call Gold Appliance Repair today! The #1 Fishers refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your home is a bit noisier than normal there are some easy place that you can check while trying to find the answer. There are several fans on a standard refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The appliance might also not be level too. Or you might have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is operating, the noises could be from a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of basic components that need to be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too could cause glass bottles and other foods and liquids to clink together. This will create a lot of loud sounds inside the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and naturally producing a small vibration.

If you have a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water hooked up, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to turn off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you just need to lift the metal bar. If the refrigerator is installed very close to a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the standard operating noise to seem louder. This is because of the echoing of the sound of the refrigerator. Pull it out from the kitchen wall and 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 one of these basic and common fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the fans are the cause of a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. Sometimes 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 should be cleaned regularly. If the coating gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. Most of the time you will want a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. Once exposed you’ll see a fan behind it. If it is full of dust and dirt, grab a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should check the coils too. The coils are usually near there and will be covered in the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will 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 the fan blades spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple repair, as the fan assembly is usually a part that can be purchased online and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before attempting any of 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 unit. This is not typically the issue, as this particular fan is concealed by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that is the place to check.

If it is possible that it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically gray or black object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Gold Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should attempt.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES