Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator unusual noise

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

A noisy refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your kitchen is a little louder than it usually is there are some easy things that you can look at while trying to find the cause. There are several fans on a home refrigerator that might create loud noises. The refrigerator could also not be balanced too. Or you could have a compressor wearing down. If your refrigerator is noisier when the ice maker is making ice, the noises might be from a broken a water valve.

There are some obvious things that must be be checked. Like is the 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 loud noises inside of the refrigerator that’s not ideal because the refrigerator is on and naturally producing a minor vibration.

If you have a refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water hooked up, be sure you turned off the dispenser and ice maker. There is usually a button on the dispenser on the refrigerator that can be pressed to shut off the dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you need to pull up the bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the normal running noise to seem much louder than it really is. This is because of the echoing of the sound of the appliance. Pull the refrigerator out away from the wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be close to 2 inches from the back wall of the kitchen to reduce the sound.

If it isn’t any of these simple and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the refrigerator fans are the reason for a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do as well. There’s a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Sometimes the refrigerator condenser fan will get a coating of dust on it and needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. 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

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will need a wrench or screwdriver to get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it is off you will notice a fan inside. If it’s covered in dirt and dust, take a rag and gently wipe it off. While you’re in there look at the coils as well. The coils are typically near there and will be full of the same dust and grime that the fan is. Wiping down the coils only takes a few minutes and it will certainly help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a very common problem that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades. Do the fan blades spin easily? If not the fan motor bearings are broken. This is a simple repair, as the fan assembly is typically a component that can be ordered and can be replaced by just disconnecting it. But, before trying any of this, be sure the refrigerator is not plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This is not typically the problem, as this particular fan is concealed within the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the area to check.

If you think it might be the refrigerator compressor, the large, typically black or gray object under the refrigerator by the coils, we recommend calling Instant Livonia Appliance Repair. That is not a repair a homeowner should proceed with.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES