Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our repairmen know exactly how to diagnose the issue and correct it. Call CRT Appliance Repair today! The #1 Middletown refrigerator repair service.

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

There are a few obvious things that should be checked. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too can sometimes result in glass jars and other items to clink together. This will cause a lot of loud noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally producing a small vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water line connected, be positive you turned off the dispenser and ice maker. There’s almost always a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to turn off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the metal bar. If the refrigerator is installed really close to a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the normal operating noise to seem louder. This is because of the echo of the noise of the appliance. Pull the refrigerator out from the wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator needs to be about 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to reduce the sound.

If it isn’t one of these basic and easier fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that can get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Sometimes 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 will sometimes wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. As soon as it is exposed you will see a fan in there. If it’s covered in dirt and dust, grab a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. The coils are usually near there and full of the same dust and grime 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 a common issue that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do the fan blades spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is usually a component that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before you do any of this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer. This is not usually the issue, as this fan is protected 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 it is possible that it could be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling CRT Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should attempt.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Ice Maker Not Working
• Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling