Loud sounds coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our technicians know exactly how to troubleshoot the problem and correct it. Call Reliable Redding Appliance Repair today! The #1 Redding refrigerator repair service.
A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your house is a little louder than usual there are a few easy things that you can look at while attempting to find the answer. There are a lot of fans on a refrigerator that might create strange noises. The refrigerator might also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor wearing out. If your refrigerator is noisier when the ice maker is making ice, the sounds might be a broken a water valve.
There are a few obvious things that need to be checked. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too will often cause glass containers and other foods and liquids to clink together. This will create a lot of annoying sounds inside the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is on and creating a minor vibration.
If you own a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water line connected, be sure you shut off the water dispenser and ice maker. There is typically a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to shut off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you just need to lift the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed right by a wall, it might cause the standard operating noise to seem much louder. This is a result of the echo of the noise of the refrigerator. Pull the refrigerator out a bit from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches from the back wall to limit the sound.
If it isn’t any of these basic and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. There are times the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Often times the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned often. If the dust gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside the fan’s motor.
Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils
behind the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need a screwdriver or wrench to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. Once exposed you will see a fan behind it. If it’s full of dust and dirt, grab a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there you should check the coils as well. These are usually right there and covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils only takes a couple of minutes but it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is actually a very common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.
Spin the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the fan blades spin freely? If they don’t it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before doing any of this, ensure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is typically located behind the freezer. This is not usually the problem, as this particular fan is concealed inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to check.
If you think it could be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Reliable Redding Appliance Repair. That’s 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