Refrigerator Repair: How to Identify Common Causes of Refrigerator Noise

Does your refrigerator keep you up at night with its various groans and groans? When you need immediate relief from your noisy refrigerator, there are a few steps you can take. Follow these helpful tips from your local appliance repair shop:

• Locate the source of the noise – Is the noise coming from inside the freezer or from the back of the refrigerator? Determining which area the noise is coming from will help you narrow down the possible components that could be causing the sound.
• solve problems- There are only a handful of parts in a refrigerator that normally cause noise. Once you’ve narrowed down the overall location of the sound, you can start troubleshooting various components to try and resolve the issue. While some problems can be easily fixed with minimal effort, others will require you to call in a trained refrigeration repair professional.

Noise inside Freezer

Noise originating from within the freezer can usually be attributed to the evaporator fan, which runs whenever the unit is actively cooling. If you notice a screeching, grinding, or whining sound that comes and goes (instead of being constant), it may be a problem with the blower motor. To be safe, open the freezer door and press and hold the light/fan switch, if there is one. If the sound gets louder with the door open, you can be pretty sure the fan is the cause. Unfortunately, there is no way to repair the evaporator fan motor; you must replace the part to resolve the issue.

Noise from the back of the refrigerator

Most of the noise you notice will come from the back of the refrigerator, where most of the moving parts are. If you have an automatic defrost unit, the first place you’ll want to check is the condenser fan. The condenser fan is located at the back of the refrigerator, often behind a thin panel. Sometimes the fan can collect a buildup of lint and other debris, causing a humming or clicking noise. You can try to solve the problem by removing the thin cover to access the fan, and then cleaning the fan of any debris with a soft-bristled brush (old toothbrushes are great for this!). Once the fan is free of dust or other material, replace the cover and plug the refrigerator back in. If you still have noise coming from the condenser fan after cleaning it, you may need to replace the part with the help of an appliance repair company.

If your refrigerator is making a thumping or purring noise from behind, it may indicate a problem with your compressor. The compressor is located in a football-sized box at the back of the refrigerator, near the bottom of the unit, and typically contains black or copper tubing with assorted colored wires. The compressor is usually a sealed unit, so it cannot be replaced by a do-it-yourselfer. If you can isolate the problem to the compressor, you will need to contact a refrigerator repair technician to complete the job.

Noise from the bottom of the refrigerator

If you have noise emanating from the bottom of your refrigerator, it’s likely coming from one of two places. The first, and easiest to fix, is a rattling loose drain pan. To fix this, simply tape the tray in place to stop the noise. If that doesn’t work, you may have a problem with the defrost timer. The defrost timer is located on the front of the unit, behind the kick plate. This part is actually a heating element located in the evaporator coil and is not serviceable. If you’re having trouble with the defrost timer, you may also notice a buildup of frost in your refrigerator or freezer. To replace this component, you should contact an experienced professional for refrigerator repair part installation.

When to contact the professionals

If you complete the steps above and still can’t determine where the problem is coming from, or if you need to replace a complicated part like the compressor or defrost timer, you should contact your

Local appliance repair service. In addition to providing you with complete troubleshooting and safe, reliable repairs, most refrigerator repair technicians also offer routine maintenance, which can help you avoid future problems. With its help, you will be able to sleep soundly without being interrupted by extraneous kitchen noises in the future.