Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our technicians know just how to diagnose the problem and fix it. Call Victory Indio Appliance Repair for our refrigerator repair service today!

A loud refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a bit noisier than it usually is there are a couple of easy things that you can check while trying to find a solution. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that often create strange noises. The refrigerator might also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor wearing out. If your refrigerator is much noisier when the ice maker is operating, the sounds might be a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of obvious components that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too can result in glass jars and other food items to clink and clank together. This will create a lot of unpleasant sounds inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and thereby creating a small vibration.

If you have a model of refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water connected, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to shut off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you just need to pull up the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed really close to a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard running noise to seem a lot louder. This is a result of the echoing of the noise of the appliance. Pull the refrigerator out away from the wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

If it’s not any of these simple and easy fixes, it’s 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 dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and needs to be cleaned regularly. If the dust builds up and gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want to have a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off. Once off you’ll notice a fan in there. If it’s full of dirt and dust, find a rag and gently clean it off. While you’re in there you should look at the coils too. The coils are usually near there and will be full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils only takes a few minutes and it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common issue that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do the blades spin easily? If not the fan motor bearings are not working. 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. But, before attempting this, ensure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, 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 sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that is the place to look.

If it is possible it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, usually gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Victory Indio Appliance Repair. That isn’t a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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