Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?
Loud sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. This means our technicians know just how to diagnose the problem and repair it. Call D&D Worcester Appliance Repair today! The #1 Worcester refrigerator repair service.
A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a little noisier than normal there are some easy place that you can check while trying to find the answer. There are a lot of fans on a standard refrigerator that often create strange sounds. The appliance could also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is operating, the noises might be a broken a water valve.
There are a couple of obvious components that must be be checked. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too might cause glass jars and other items to clink together. This will create a lot of loud sounds inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and producing a small vibration.
If you have a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water line connected, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the dispenser that can be used to shut off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to lift the metal bar. If the refrigerator was installed really close to a wall, it might cause the normal operating noise to seem a lot louder. This is due to the echo of the noise of the machine. Pull the refrigerator out away from the wall and then see if that helps at all. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the sound.
If it is not one of these basic and easy fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the cause of a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that can get dirty and clogged. Often times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Many times the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and should be cleaned on a regular basis. If the coating builds up and gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside of the refrigerator fan’s motor.
Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils
behind the refrigerator. A lot 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 behind it. If it is covered in dirt and dust, find a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils as well. The coils are typically near there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a couple of minutes and it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.
Turn the fan blades. Do they spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is usually a part that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before trying 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 issue, as this fan is protected within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the area to look.
If it is possible it could be the compressor, the big, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling D&D Worcester Appliance Repair. That isn’t a repair a homeowner should attempt.
ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES
- How Does a Refrigerator Work?
- Ice Maker Not Working
- Water Dispenser Not Working
- Why Isn’t My Refrigerator Cooling?