Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator noisy

Loud sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular service calls. That means our technicians know exactly how to diagnose the issue and repair it. Call Five Star Yakima Appliance Repair today! The #1 Yakima refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your house is a little noisier than it usually is there are a few simple things that you can look at while attempting to find the answer. There are several fans on a refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The refrigerator might also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be from a broken a water valve.

There are some obvious components that should be checked first. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too might cause glass bottles and other foods and liquids to clink and clank together. This can create a lot of loud noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally producing a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water hooked up, be positive you shut off the dispenser and ice maker. There’s typically 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 inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed right by a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard running sound to seem a lot louder than it is. This is due to the echo of the noise of the appliance. Move it out from the kitchen wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator should be around 2 inches away from the rear wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

If it is not one of these basic and easier fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the cause of a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. Often times the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and then should be cleaned regularly. If the dust gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is typically located in the back of the refrigerator. Most of the time you will want a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off. Once exposed you will notice a fan in there. If it’s full of dirt and dust, grab a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there look at the coils as well. The coils are usually right there and covered in the same grime and dust 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 problem that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the blades spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are not working. This is an easy repair, as the fan assembly is usually a component that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before doing 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 particular fan is protected within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that is the area to look.

If it is possible it might be the compressor, the big, usually gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we advise calling Five Star Yakima Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES