Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator noisy

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. This means our repairmen know exactly how to diagnose the problem and correct it. Call Done-Right Davie Appliance Repair today! The #1 Davie refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your kitchen is a little noisier than usual there are some simple place that you can check while attempting to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The appliance might 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 sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are a few basic things that should be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too will often cause glass containers and other food items to clink together. This can create a lot of unpleasant sounds inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and thereby producing a minor vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water connected, be sure you turned off the water 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 just need to lift the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed right by a wall, it might cause the standard operating noise to seem a lot louder. This is because of the echoing of the noise of the machine. Pull the refrigerator out from the wall and then see if that helps or not. A refrigerator needs to be about 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to limit the sound.

If it isn’t any of these simple and common fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Many times the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust or fuzz on it and should be cleaned on a regular basis. If it gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside 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 screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. Once off you will notice a fan inside. If it is full of dirt and dust, take a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there look at 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 few minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades in the refrigerator. 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 unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before trying this, be sure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This is not usually the issue, as this fan is concealed within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that is the area to look.

If it’s possible that it could be the compressor, the large, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Done-Right Davie Appliance Repair. That isn’t a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES