Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator noisy

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

A loud refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a little louder than usual there are some simple things that you can look at while attempting to find the answer. There are a lot of fans on a refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The appliance could also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is much louder when the ice maker is operating, the noises could be from a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious things that must be be checked first. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too could result in glass containers and other food items to clink together. This can cause a lot of annoying sounds inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and naturally creating a minor vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water line connected, be sure you turned off the dispenser and ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to shut off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to pull up the metal bar. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the normal running sound to seem a lot louder. This is due to the echo of the noise of the refrigerator. Pull it out away from the wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be about 2 inches away from the back wall to limit the sound.

If it’s not one of these simple and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the fans are the reason for a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that will often get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Many times the condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and should be cleaned often. If the dust 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

First, the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will need a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel. Once exposed you will notice a fan inside. If it is covered in dirt and dust, find a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there look at the coils as well. These are typically right there and covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a few minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common problem that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the blades spin easily? If they do not the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple repair, as the fan assembly is usually a component that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before doing any of this, be sure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is located behind the freezer. This isn’t usually the issue, as this fan is concealed by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to look.

If you think it might be the refrigerator compressor, the big, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Hometown Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES