Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. This means our repairmen know exactly how to diagnose the problem and repair it. Call J&J Jackson Appliance Repair today! The #1 Jackson refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home is a little louder than it usually is there are some simple place that you can look at while trying to find the answer. There are a lot of fans on a home refrigerator that often create loud noises. The refrigerator could also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is louder when the ice maker is operating, the sounds might be from a broken a water valve.

There are a few obvious components that must be be checked. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too could result in glass containers and other food items to clink together. This can create a lot of annoying sounds inside the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and naturally producing a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but you do not have the water hooked up, be positive you turned off the dispenser and the ice maker. There is almost always a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to turn off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the metal bar. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the normal running sound to seem much louder than it is. This is because of the echo of the noise of the refrigerator. Move the refrigerator out a bit away from the kitchen wall and see if that helps. A refrigerator should be around 2 inches from the back wall to lower the sound.

If it isn’t any 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 loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get clogged and dirty. There are times the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and then needs to be cleaned regularly. If the dust gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside of the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

The first thing to do is unplug the refrigerator. The condenser fan is usually located in the back of the refrigerator. Most of the time you will need to have a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. Once exposed you will see a fan inside. If it’s covered in dust and dirt, find a rag and gently wipe it off. While you are in there you should look at the coils as well. These are typically right there and will be covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will help the refrigerator run more efficiently. This is a common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades. Do they spin easily? If not it means the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple repair, as the fan assembly is usually a unit that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. However, before doing any of this, ensure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do this same process for the evaporator fan, which is located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t typically the issue, as this particular fan is protected by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the sounds are coming from the top of the appliance that is the area to check.

If it’s possible it might be the compressor, the big, typically gray or black object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we recommend calling J&J Jackson Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Ice Maker Not Working
• Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling