Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

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

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house is a bit noisier than it usually is there are some easy things that you can look at while attempting to find a solution. There are several fans on a refrigerator that could create strange noises. The appliance might also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is much noisier when the ice maker is working, the sounds might be a broken a water valve.

There are some obvious components that must be be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too could cause glass bottles and other items to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of unpleasant noises inside the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is on and naturally producing a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water hooked up, be sure you shut off the dispenser and ice maker. There’s usually a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to turn off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to lift the metal bar. If the refrigerator was installed very close to a wall in the kitchen, it can cause the standard running noise to seem a lot louder than it really is. This is due to the echoing of the noise of the appliance. Slide it out 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 back wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

If it is not any of these basic and easier fixes, it is time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust or fuzz on it and then should be cleaned regularly. If it builds up and gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside of the refrigerator 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. As soon as it is exposed you’ll notice a fan inside. If it is covered in dirt and dust, find a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there check the coils too. The coils are usually near there and will be full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do they spin freely? If they do not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is typically a part that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before you do this, ensure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This is not typically the issue, as this particular fan is protected inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to check.

If you think it might be the refrigerator compressor, the big, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we suggest calling Triumph Appliance Repair of Troy. That isn’t 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