Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

 

noisy refrigeratorStrange noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. This means our technicians know just how to diagnose the problem and fix it. Call Old Town Orange Appliance Repair today! The #1 Orange refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your kitchen seems to be a bit noisier than normal there are a few simple place that you can look at while trying to find the cause. There are several fans on a home refrigerator that often create strange noises. The refrigerator might also not be level too. Or you may have a compressor that’s wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is operating, the sounds could be a broken a water valve.

There are one or two obvious components that must be be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too will often result in glass containers and other items to clink and clank together. This can cause a lot of loud sounds inside of the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is running and thereby producing a small vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water connected, be positive you shut off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There’s typically a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to turn off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you need to pull up the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed really close to a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard running noise to seem louder. This is because of the echoing of the sound of the refrigerator. Pull it out a little away from the wall and see if that helps at all. A refrigerator needs to be close to 2 inches away from the rear wall to lower the noise.

If it’s not one of these basic and common fixes, it’s time to dive on in. Most of the time, the fans are the reason for a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that sometimes get dirty and clogged. Often times 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 should be cleaned regularly. If the coating builds up and gets too heavy it will sometimes 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 want to have a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it’s off you’ll see a fan behind it. If it is covered in dirt and dust, get a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there look at the coils too. The coils are usually near there and will be covered in the same dust and grime that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a few minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do the fan blades spin freely? If not the fan motor bearings are not working. This is an easy repair, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before you do any of this, be sure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer. This is not typically the issue, as this particular fan is concealed by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that is the place to look.

If it is possible it might be the compressor, the large, typically gray or black object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling Old Town Orange Appliance Repair. That isn’t a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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