Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. That means we know exactly how to diagnose the problem and correct it. Call Donaldson Appliance Repair today! The #1 Texas refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a little louder than normal there are some simple place that you can look at while attempting to find the cause. There are several fans on a standard refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The appliance might also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor wearing down. If your refrigerator is much louder when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious things that need to be checked. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too can cause glass jars and other foods and liquids to clink together. This can create a lot of annoying sounds inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and naturally creating a small vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water hooked up, be positive you shut off the dispenser and ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to shut off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you need to lift the bar. If the refrigerator was installed very close to a wall, it will sometimes cause the normal operating noise to seem a lot louder. This is a result of the echo of the noise of the machine. Pull the refrigerator out a little from the kitchen wall and see if that helps at all. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the back wall to lower the sound.

If it’s not one of these basic and common 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 will often get dirty and clogged. Sometimes the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. If the coating builds up and gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is to unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is typically located in the rear of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will need a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. As soon as it’s exposed you’ll notice a fan behind it. If it’s full of dirt and dust, get a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should check the coils as well. The coils are typically near there and covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common problem that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they 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 part that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before trying this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer. This isn’t typically the problem, as this fan is protected by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the area to check.

If you think it could be the compressor, the big, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling Metro Appliance Repair. That is 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