Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Loud sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. This means our technicians know just how to troubleshoot the problem and correct it. Call Ignite Miami Beach Appliance Repair today! The #1 Miami Beach refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your home is a bit noisier than usual there are a few easy things that you can look at while attempting to find a solution. There are several fans on a refrigerator that could create loud sounds. The refrigerator could also not be balanced too. Or you could have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is much louder when the ice maker is working, the noises could be a broken a water valve.

There are some obvious things that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too will often cause glass bottles and other items to clink together. This can create a lot of loud noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally creating a minor vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water line hooked up, be sure you shut off the dispenser and ice maker. There’s usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to turn off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to lift the bar. If the refrigerator was installed near a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the normal running noise to seem louder than it is. This is because of the echoing of the noise of the appliance. Slide the refrigerator out a bit away from the kitchen wall and see if that helps at all. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches from the back wall to reduce the sound.

If it’s not any of these simple and common fixes, it’s time to dive on in. Most of the time, the fans are the cause of a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that can get dirty and clogged. Sometimes the fan motors do as well. There is 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 the coating gets too heavy it can 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 need to have a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off. Once off you’ll see a fan behind it. If it is covered in dust and dirt, get a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there check the coils as well. The coils are typically right there and full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a few minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn 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 ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before attempting 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 unit. This is not typically the issue, as this particular fan is concealed by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the place to look.

If you think it could be the compressor, the large, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we advise calling Ignite Miami Beach 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