Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

loud noises of refrigerator

Strange sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. That means our repairmen know just how to diagnose the issue and correct it. Call Long Appliance Repair today! The #1 CITY refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a little louder than usual there are a few easy things that you can look at while attempting to find the answer. There are a lot of fans on a standard refrigerator that might create loud noises. The appliance might also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot noisier when the ice maker is working, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are some basic things that need to be checked. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too can cause glass bottles and other foods and liquids to clink together. This will create a lot of unpleasant noises inside of the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is on and thereby creating a small vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water line connected, be sure you turned off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to shut off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you need to lift the bar. If the refrigerator is installed really close to a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the normal running noise to seem a lot louder than it is. This is because of the echo of the sound of the machine. Pull the refrigerator out from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps at all. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches from the back wall to lower the noise.

If it is not one of these simple and easy fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that can get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Many times the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and should be cleaned regularly. If the coating builds up and gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off. As soon as it’s exposed you will see a fan inside. If it is full of dirt and dust, get a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should check the coils too. The coils 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 efficiently. This is actually a common issue that sometimes causes 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 a simple fix, as the fan assembly is usually a component that can be purchased online and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before you do any of this, ensure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer unit. This is not typically the problem, as this fan is protected within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that is the place to check.

If you think it could be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling Long Appliance Repair. That is not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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