Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange sounds coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. This means our technicians know just how to diagnose the problem and fix it. Call A&L Corona Appliance Repair today! The #1 Corona refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is the worst. If the refrigerator in your home seems to be a little louder than normal there are a few easy place that you can check while attempting to find the answer. There are several fans on a home refrigerator that often create strange sounds. The appliance could also not be level too. Or you may have a compressor wearing down. If your refrigerator is much louder when the ice maker is working, the sounds might be from a broken a water valve.

There are some obvious components that need to be checked. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too can sometimes result in glass jars and other items to clink together. This will create a lot of annoying sounds inside of the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and naturally creating a small vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but you don’t have the water connected, be sure you shut off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s usually a button on the water dispenser that can be pressed to turn off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you simply need to pull up the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator was installed near a wall in the kitchen, it could cause the standard running noise to seem a lot louder than it really is. This is because of the echo of the noise of the appliance. Pull it out from the wall and see if that helps or not. A refrigerator should be close to 2 inches from the rear wall to lower the noise.

If it’s not any of these simple and easier fixes, it is time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for 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 refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust on it and should be cleaned on a regular basis. If the coating gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

First, the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it is exposed you will notice a fan in there. If it is full of dust and dirt, get a rag and gently clean it off. While you’re in there check the coils as well. These are usually near there and will be full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a couple of minutes but it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

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

If you think it could be the refrigerator compressor, the big, usually black or gray object under the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling A&L Corona Appliance Repair. That isn’t 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