Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. This means our repairmen know exactly how to troubleshoot the issue and fix it. Call PTX Appliance Repair today! The #1 Pasadena refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a bit louder than normal there are a few easy place that you can check while attempting to find the answer. There are many fans on a standard refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The appliance might also not be level too. Or you may have a compressor that’s wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is working, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of obvious components that should be checked. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too can cause glass jars and other foods and liquids to clink together. This can create a lot of loud sounds inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and thereby producing a small vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water hooked up, be positive you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There is usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to lift the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed right by a wall, it can cause the standard running noise to seem a lot louder than it really is. This is a result of the echoing of the noise of the appliance. Move the refrigerator out a little from the wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the sound.

If it is not any of these simple and easier fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that will often get clogged and dirty. There are times 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 should be cleaned on a regular basis. If it builds up and gets too heavy it will sometimes wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. Most of the time you will want to have a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel. As soon as it’s exposed you will see a fan in there. If it is full of dust and dirt, grab a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. The coils are typically right there and will be full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common issue that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do the fan blades spin freely? If they do not the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is typically a component that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before doing this, ensure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer. This is not typically the problem, as this particular fan is concealed inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to check.

If you think it could be the refrigerator compressor, the big, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling PTX 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