Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. This means our technicians know just how to diagnose the issue and fix it. Call ASAP Appliance Repair today! The #1 Simi Valley refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your kitchen is a bit louder than it usually is there are a few easy place that you can look at while trying to find the cause. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that might create strange noises. The appliance could also not be level too. Or you may have a compressor wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot louder 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 will often result in glass containers and other items to clink together. This will create a lot of unpleasant sounds inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and producing a small vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water line hooked up, be positive you shut off the dispenser and ice maker. There’s typically a button on the water dispenser that can be pressed to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to lift the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed near a wall in the kitchen, it will cause the standard running noise to seem much louder than it really is. This is due to the echo of the noise of the machine. Slide the refrigerator out a bit from the kitchen wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be close to 2 inches away from the rear wall to limit the sound.

If it isn’t any of these simple and easier fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the fans are the reason for a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that can get dirty and clogged. Often times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Often times the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. If it 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. A lot of the time you will need a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel. Once exposed you’ll see a fan inside. If it’s full of dust and dirt, take a rag and gently wipe it off. While you’re in there you should check the coils too. These are typically near there and covered in the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is a common issue that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the blades spin freely? If they do not the fan motor bearings are broken. 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. But, before doing any of this, be sure the refrigerator is not 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 problem, as this fan is concealed by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to look.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Ice Maker Not Working
• Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling