Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator loud noises

Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. This means our repairmen know exactly how to diagnose the issue and correct it. Call Colton Appliance Repair today! The #1 Colton refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home is a bit noisier than usual there are some easy place that you can look at while attempting to find a solution. There are several fans on a standard refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The refrigerator could also not be level too. Or you may have a compressor wearing out. If your refrigerator is much noisier when the ice maker is operating, the noises might be from a broken a water valve.

There are a few obvious components that must be be checked. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too can sometimes cause glass bottles and other foods and liquids to clink and clank together. This will cause a lot of annoying sounds inside the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and creating a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water hooked up, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There’s usually a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be used to shut off the water dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the metal bar. If the refrigerator was installed very close to a wall, it could cause the normal operating sound to seem much louder than it is. This is due to the echoing of the noise of the appliance. Pull the refrigerator out from the wall and see if that helps at all. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

If it is not any of these simple and easy 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 can get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust or fuzz on it and should be cleaned often. If the coating gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside of the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it is off you’ll notice a fan behind it. If it’s covered in dust and dirt, grab a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there look at the coils too. The coils are usually right there and covered in the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the blades spin freely? If not the fan motor bearings are broken. This is an easy fix, as the fan assembly is typically a component that can be purchased online and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before you do any of this, be sure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This is not usually the problem, as this particular fan is concealed within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to look.

If you think it might be the compressor, the large, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling Colton Appliance Repair. That isn’t a repair a homeowner should attempt.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES