Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. This means our technicians know exactly how to diagnose the problem and fix it. Call Duncan Appliance Repair today! The #1 Jersey City refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home seems to be a bit louder than it usually is there are a couple of simple things that you can check while attempting to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a standard refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The refrigerator could also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that’s wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are some obvious components that must be be checked. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too could cause glass bottles and other items to clink and clank together. This can cause a lot of unpleasant sounds inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is running and thereby creating a small vibration.

If you have a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water hooked up, be positive you shut off the dispenser and ice maker. There is typically a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to turn off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the metal bar. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall in the kitchen, it can sometimes cause the normal running noise to seem louder than it really is. This is a result of the echoing of the noise of the machine. Pull it out a little from the wall and then see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the back wall to limit the sound.

If it’s not one of these simple and common 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 will often get clogged and dirty. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and should be cleaned on a regular basis. If it builds up and gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want to have a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. Once off you’ll see a fan inside. If it is full of dust and dirt, take a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there look at the coils too. The coils are typically near there and covered in the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a few minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the blades spin easily? If they do not it means the fan motor bearings are not working. This is an easy repair, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before doing any of this, ensure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t usually the problem, as this fan is protected inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the place to look.

If you think it might be the compressor, the large, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling Duncan Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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