Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

refrigerator loud noises

Loud noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. That means our technicians know exactly how to troubleshoot the problem and fix it. Call Prime Provo Appliance Repair today! The #1 Provo refrigerator repair service.

A loud refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your house is a little louder than usual there are a few easy place that you can look at while attempting to find the cause. There are a lot of fans on a refrigerator that could create strange sounds. The appliance could also not be level too. Or you may have a compressor that’s wearing down. If your refrigerator is much louder when the ice maker is operating, the noises could be from a broken a water valve.

There are some basic things that must be be checked. Like is the refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that’s too can cause glass jars and other food items to clink together. This will cause a lot of unpleasant noises inside the refrigerator that is not ideal because the refrigerator is running and naturally creating a minor vibration.

If you own a model of refrigerator that has a built-in water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water line hooked up, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and ice maker. There’s typically a button on the water dispenser that can be pressed to shut off the water dispenser. And as far as the ice maker, you just need to lift the metal bar inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed very close to a wall in the kitchen, it might cause the standard operating noise to seem louder than it really is. This is because of the echo of the sound of the refrigerator. Slide the refrigerator out a little away from the wall and see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be about 2 inches away from the back wall of the kitchen to limit the noise.

If it isn’t any of these simple and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. Most of the time, the fans are the cause of a refrigerator that’s loud. There are fan blades that can get clogged and dirty. Sometimes the fan motors do too. There is a condenser fan in the refrigerator and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Many times the condenser fan will get a coating of dust or fuzz on it and should be cleaned regularly. If the dust gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will want to have a screwdriver or wrench to get the back panel off. Once exposed you’ll notice a fan behind it. If it is full of dust and dirt, take a rag and gently wipe it off. While you’re in there check the coils as well. These are typically right there and covered in the same grime and dust that the fan is. Wiping down the coils will only take a couple of minutes and it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a very common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Turn the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the blades spin easily? If they do not it means 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 simply disconnecting it. But, before trying any of this, be sure the refrigerator isn’t plugged in. Do the same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is located behind the freezer. This is not typically the issue, as this fan is protected inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that’s the area to check.

If you think it could be the refrigerator compressor, the large, usually gray or black object under the refrigerator by the coils, we suggest calling Prime Provo Appliance Repair. That is not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES