Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. This means our technicians know just how to troubleshoot the problem and correct it. Call Ideal Edison Appliance Repair today! The #1 Edison refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home seems to be a little noisier than normal there are a couple of simple place that you can check while attempting to find the cause. There are several fans on a standard refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The appliance might also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor that’s wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is working, the noises could be a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of basic things that need to be checked first. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too will often cause glass jars and other food items to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of annoying noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and creating 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 line hooked up, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to turn off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to lift the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed right by a wall, it can cause the standard operating sound to seem much louder. This is a result of the echo of the noise of the machine. Slide it out away from the wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be about 2 inches from the rear wall to limit the noise.

If it is not one of these simple and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the cause of a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. Often times the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Often times the condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned often. If the coating gets too heavy it might 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 to have a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel. Once off you will notice a fan behind it. If it’s covered in dirt and dust, take a cloth and gently clean it off. While you’re in there you should look at the coils as well. These are usually right there and full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a couple of minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are not working. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be purchased online and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before you do any of this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t typically the problem, as this particular fan is concealed 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 it’s possible it could be the compressor, the big, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling Ideal Edison Appliance Repair. That is 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