Loud noises coming out of a refrigerator is one of our most common service calls. This means our technicians know just how to troubleshoot the issue and correct it. Call Lawton Appliance Repair today! The #1 Lawton refrigerator repair service.
A noisy refrigerator is very annoying. If the refrigerator in your home seems to be a little louder than normal there are a couple of simple things that you can check while attempting to find the answer. There are several fans on a standard refrigerator that might create loud sounds. The appliance might also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor that is wearing out. If your refrigerator is a lot louder when the ice maker is operating, the sounds might be a broken a water valve.
There are a couple of basic things that need to be checked first. Like is your refrigerator too full? A refrigerator that is too can result in glass jars and other food items to clink and clank together. This can cause a lot of loud noises inside of the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and producing a minor vibration.
If you have a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but don’t have the water hooked up, be positive you turned off the dispenser and the ice maker. There’s typically 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 inside of it. If the refrigerator is installed right by a wall, it could cause the standard running sound to seem a lot louder than it really is. This is due to the echoing of the sound of the machine. Move the refrigerator out a little away from the kitchen wall and then see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator needs to be close to 2 inches away from the back wall of the kitchen to reduce the sound.
If it’s not one of these basic and easy fixes, it is time to dive on in. The majority of the time, the fans are the reason for a refrigerator that is loud. There are fan blades that can get dirty and clogged. Sometimes the fan motors do too. There’s a condenser fan and an evaporator on refrigerators too. Often times the 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 can 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 get the back panel off from the refrigerator. As soon as it is off you’ll notice a fan in there. If it’s full of dirt and dust, find a cloth and gently clean it off. While you are in there check the coils as well. These are typically near there and will be full of 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 a very common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.
Turn the fan blades. Do they spin freely? If not it means the fan motor bearings are not working. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is typically a component that can be purchased online and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. But, before trying 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 unit. This isn’t usually the problem, as this fan is protected within the walls of the refrigerator. But, when the noises are coming from the top of the appliance that is the area to look.
If it’s possible that it might be the compressor, the large, usually gray or black object beneath the refrigerator near the coils, we suggest calling Lawton 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