Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our technicians know exactly how to troubleshoot the issue and repair it. Call Moore Appliance Repair today! The #1 California refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your kitchen seems to be a bit louder than normal there are a couple of easy things that you can check while attempting to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that might create loud noises. The refrigerator might also not be level too. Or you could have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is noisier when the ice maker is making ice, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of basic components that need to be checked first. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that is too can result in glass bottles and other foods and liquids to clink together. This can cause a lot of annoying sounds inside of the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is on and creating a minor vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water line hooked up, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There is almost always a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to turn off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you need to pull up the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed right by a wall, it might cause the normal operating sound to seem louder than it really is. This is due to the echoing of the noise of the refrigerator. Slide it out a little from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be close to 2 inches from the rear wall of the kitchen to limit the noise.

If it is not any of these simple and common fixes, it’s time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. Often times the fan motors do too. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and should be cleaned often. 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, unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is usually located in the rear of the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want to have a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. As soon as it’s off you’ll see a fan inside. If it is full of dust and dirt, grab a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. The coils are typically right there and will be covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils only takes a couple of minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do they spin easily? If they do 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 just disconnecting it. However, before trying this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is typically located behind the freezer. This is not usually the issue, as this particular fan is protected by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that is the area to look.

If you think it might be the compressor, the large, usually black or gray object under the refrigerator by the coils, we suggest calling Moore Appliance Repair. That’s 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