Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator loud noises

Strange noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. This means our technicians know just how to troubleshoot the issue and repair it. Call Gold Appliance Repair today! The #1 Pearland refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your kitchen is a little louder than normal there are a few simple place that you can check while trying to find the cause. There are many fans on a home refrigerator that often create loud sounds. The refrigerator might also not be level too. Or you may have a compressor that is wearing down. If your refrigerator is noisier when the ice maker is operating, the sounds might be a broken a water valve.

There are some obvious components that need to be checked first. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too could cause glass bottles and other foods and liquids to clink and clank together. This can create a lot of annoying noises inside the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and producing a small vibration.

If you have a model of refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water connected, be sure you shut off the dispenser and the ice maker. There is almost always a button on the water dispenser that can be pressed to turn off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you just need to pull up the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed right by a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard operating sound to seem much louder than it really is. This is because of the echo of the noise of the refrigerator. Move the refrigerator out from the wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be close to 2 inches from the rear wall of the kitchen to limit the sound.

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

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will need a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. Once exposed you’ll see a fan inside. If it is full of dust and dirt, find a cloth and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils too. The coils are typically near there and covered in 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 actually a common issue that causes a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do the blades spin easily? If not it means the fan motor bearings are not working. 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 you do any of this, be sure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this 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 concealed by being within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the place to look.

If you think it might be the compressor, the big, typically black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we suggest calling Gold Appliance Repair. That is not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES