Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our technicians know just how to diagnose the issue and fix it. Call Hayes Appliance Repair today! The #1 refrigerator repair.

A loud refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your home seems to be a little louder than usual there are some easy things that you can look at while trying to find the cause. There are a lot of fans on a standard refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The refrigerator could also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is much noisier when the ice maker is working, the sounds might be from a broken a water valve.

There are a few obvious components that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too can result in glass containers and other foods and liquids to clink and clank together. This will create a lot of unpleasant sounds inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is running and producing a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water line hooked up, be positive you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There is typically a button on the dispenser that can be used to shut off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you just need to pull up the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed right by a wall, it can sometimes cause the standard operating sound to seem a lot louder. This is due to the echoing of the sound of the machine. Pull the refrigerator out a little away from the kitchen wall and see if that helps at all. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the sound.

If it isn’t any of these basic and common fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. Often 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 or fuzz on it and then needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. If the coating gets too heavy it can 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 a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it is off you’ll see a fan behind it. If it’s covered in dirt and dust, find a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should check the coils too. The coils are usually near there and will be full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a few minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do the fan blades spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. 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. However, before attempting any of this, be sure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This is not usually the problem, as this fan is protected within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to check.

If you think it might be the refrigerator compressor, the big, usually black or gray object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Hayes Appliance Repair. That’s 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