Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most popular customer calls. That means our repairmen know just how to troubleshoot the problem and fix it. Call Ox’s Oxford Appliance Repair today! The #1 Oxford refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home seems to be a bit louder than usual there are some easy things that you can look at while attempting to find a solution. There are many fans on a standard refrigerator that might create strange sounds. The appliance might also not be level too. Or you might have a compressor wearing down. If your refrigerator is louder when the ice maker is working, the noises could be a broken a water valve.

There are some obvious things that should be checked. Like is your refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that is too might result in glass containers and other food items to clink together. This will create a lot of annoying noises inside the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally creating a minor vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water connected, be sure you shut off the dispenser and ice maker. There is almost always a button on the water dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to turn off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to lift the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the standard running noise to seem much louder. This is because of the echo of the sound of the machine. Slide it out away from the kitchen wall and see if that helps. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to lower the noise.

If it isn’t any of these simple and common fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. Most of the time, the fans are the reason for a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that will often get dirty and clogged. Sometimes the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Many times the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned often. If the coating gets too heavy it can wear out the bearings inside of the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off. As soon as it’s exposed you’ll see a fan inside. If it is full of dirt and dust, grab a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. The coils are typically right there and will be covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do they 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 you do this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer. This is not typically the problem, as this fan is protected inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the refrigerator 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 suggest calling Ox’s Oxford Appliance Repair. That is not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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