Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. This means our technicians know exactly how to troubleshoot the problem and fix it. Call All-Pro Appliance Repair today! The #1 Yonkers refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home is a bit louder than usual there are a couple of simple things that you can check while attempting to find the answer. There are several fans on a standard refrigerator that could create loud noises. The appliance might also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor wearing down. If your refrigerator is louder when the ice maker is making ice, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious things that need to be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too will often cause glass containers and other items to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of annoying sounds inside the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is running and thereby creating a minor vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water line connected, be positive you turned off the dispenser and the ice maker. There is typically a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to lift the metal bar. If the refrigerator is installed right by a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the normal operating noise to seem much louder than it really is. This is due to the echoing of the noise of the machine. Slide it out from the kitchen wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be around 2 inches from the rear wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

If it’s not one of these basic and easier fixes, it’s time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the cause of a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. There are times the fan motors do too. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and then needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. If the coating 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 a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. Once exposed you’ll notice a fan in there. If it’s full of dirt and dust, grab a rag and gently clean it off. While you’re in there check the coils too. The coils are typically right there and will be full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common issue that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do the fan blades spin easily? If not the fan motor bearings are not working. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is typically a component that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before doing this, ensure 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 is not usually the issue, as this particular fan is protected by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to look.

If you think it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we advise calling All-Pro Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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