Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator unusual noise

Strange sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our repairmen know exactly how to troubleshoot the issue and fix it. Call Federal Way Appliance Repair today! The #1 Federal Way refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your kitchen seems to be a bit louder than it usually is there are some simple things that you can look at while trying to find a solution. There are many fans on a home refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The appliance could also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is making ice, the sounds might be a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of basic things that should be checked. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too could result in glass bottles and other items to clink together. This will cause a lot of unpleasant sounds inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and naturally producing a minor vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water connected, be sure you shut off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you just need to pull up the bar. If the refrigerator was installed very close to a wall in the kitchen, it can sometimes cause the standard running noise to seem a lot louder. This is a result of the echo of the sound of the appliance. Slide it out from the kitchen wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to limit the noise.

If it’s not any of these simple and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do too. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Often times the condenser fan will get a coating of dust or fuzz on it and needs to be cleaned often. If the coating gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is usually located in the rear of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. Once exposed you will see a fan in there. If it’s full of dust and dirt, take a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. These are typically right there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a few minutes and it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a common problem that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is typically a part that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before trying this, ensure the refrigerator is unplugged. 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 concealed within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the area to check.

If it is possible it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator by the coils, we suggest calling Federal Way Appliance Repair. That is not a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES