Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. This means our repairmen know just how to diagnose the issue and fix it. Call Prime Parma Appliance Repair today! The #1 Parma 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 couple of simple place that you can check while trying to find a solution. There are several fans on a refrigerator that might create strange sounds. The appliance could also not be balanced too. Or you might have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is working, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are a couple of basic components that need to be checked. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too might cause glass containers and other food items to clink together. This will cause a lot of annoying noises inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally producing a small vibration.

If you have a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water line hooked up, be positive you turned off the dispenser and ice maker. There’s typically a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to turn off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the bar. If the refrigerator was installed really close to a wall, it will sometimes cause the standard running sound to seem much louder than it really is. This is because of the echoing of the sound of the appliance. Move it out from the wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator needs to be around 2 inches from the rear wall to limit the sound.

If it isn’t any of these basic and common fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. Often times the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and should be cleaned regularly. If the coating gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside of the fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is to unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is typically located in the rear of the refrigerator. Most of the time you will want to have a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it is exposed you will notice a fan behind it. If it’s covered in dirt and dust, get a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you’re in there you should look at the coils too. The coils are usually near there and full of 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 issue that sometimes causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they spin freely? If not the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy repair, as the fan assembly is usually a part that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before you do this, ensure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. 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’s the place to check.

If you think it might be the compressor, the large, usually gray or black object under the refrigerator near the coils, we advise calling Prime Parma 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