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How Do I Stop My Fridge From Making Noise?

Gathering the family together to share a

meal is an important part of maintaining

good communication in a busy household, and

a candle-lit dinner for two might be just

the thing to rekindle a romantic spark. But

not if the lively conversation or sweet

nothings are being drowned out by the

buzzing, knocking, clicking, or squealing of

a noisy refrigerator. Why is the fridge

making such a racket?

Five reasons your refrigerator is so loud
While the origin of the noises emanating

from your normally dependable kitchen

appliance might seem mysterious, there are

some very specific reasons why a

refrigerator will become loud when running.

Here are the five most common ones:

Damaged Fan Blade – Refrigerators have two

fan blades. The first is a condenser fan

blade mounted on the condenser fan motor

which draws in air from the front of the

refrigerator, sends it past the condenser

coils (which helps to dissipate the heat in

the coils created by the condensing of the

appliance’s refrigerant in gas form into a

hot liquid), and then circulates the air

back out through the grill. The second is an

evaporator fan blade mounted on the

evaporator fan motor. This fan blade draws

air from the refrigerator compartment into

the freezer compartment and past the

evaporator coils which are chilled by the

refrigerant in liquid form being expanded

back into a gas. The cold evaporator coils

remove the heat from the air which is then

recirculated back into the refrigerator

compartment. With use, the condenser fan

blade or the evaporator fan blade can become

damaged or dislodged and begin scraping

against a panel or mounting bracket as they

rotate. The result will be a squeaking or

squealing sound whenever the fan motor is

operating.
Defective Evaporator Fan Motor –

Independent of its fan blade, the evaporator

motor itself could be defective and become

considerably noisy during operation. This is

often caused by the failure of the motor

bearings, resulting in a grinding or

clicking sound.
Malfunctioning Condenser Fan Motor – As

with the evaporator fan motor, the bearings

inside the condenser fan motor can fail as

well. Again, a malfunctioning condenser fan

motor will create a grinding or clicking

sound when the fan motor is running.
Worn Out Compressor – The compressor is the

component that pumps the refrigerant through

the evaporator and condenser coils to cool

the refrigerator and freezer compartments.

An aging compressor can become quite noisy

and will make a knocking or buzzing sound as

it nears the end of its life.
Faulty Water Inlet Valve – The water inlet

valve controls the water being supplied to

the dispenser and the refrigerator’s

icemaker. If the refrigerator is especially

noisy when the icemaker is filling, then it

’s likely the inlet valve is

malfunctioning. Over time, mineral deposits

can build-up in the valve, creating a

restriction which can cause a squeaking or

rattling sound.
Can I repair the fridge myself to quiet it

down?
Most parts which can cause a refrigerator to

become noisy or loud are easily replaceable

by a do-it-yourselfer. All it takes is a few

common household tools, such as a

screwdriver and pliers, and a little

patience.

The evaporator fan motor and its fan blade

are normally located at the back of the

freezer compartment behind one or more

panels, although some models will mount the

evaporator assembly behind a rear panel in

the refrigerator compartment. You will

usually have to remove the shelving and

drawers from the compartment (and,

potentially, the icemaker assembly) in order

to uninstall the rear panel or panels. An

evaporator fan blade can be simply pulled

off the motor shaft and a new one slid on.

The motor itself is usually secured to a

bracket with two screws and will have two

power wires attached or a wire connecter.

Unthread the screws and detach the wires to

remove the old motor; attach the wires to

the terminals on the new motor, or reconnect

the wire connecter, and rethread the

mounting screws to secure the motor to the

bracket.

The condenser fan motor and accompanying fan

blade can usually be found near the bottom

of the refrigerator behind a cardboard or

metal access panel attached to the lower

rear of the appliance. You’ll need to pull

the refrigerator away from the wall to reach

the panel. You may need to detach a water

supply line before you can uninstall the

access panel (be sure to close the water

supply valve before doing this!). As with

the evaporator fan motor, the condenser fan

motor will likely be secured to a bracket

with mounting screws and will be powered

through two separate wires or a wire

connecter.

The refrigerator’s water inlet valve is

also normally located near the bottom of the

appliance behind the lower access panel.

After detaching the incoming water supply

line, you will need to unthread the screws

securing the old component, then disconnect

the wire connecters and release the outgoing

water lines from the valve. You may have to

remove a locking clip before depressing the

retaining ring to release a line. Insert the

lines into the new inlet valve, connect the

wire connecters, then thread the screws to

mount the valve to the bracket or to the

frame of the refrigerator. Reinstall the

access panel and secure the incoming water

supply line to the valve. Be aware that you

should replace a restricted water inlet

valve with a new valve instead of attempting

to clean out an obstruction, since the

damage caused by the initial restriction

puts the part at a greater risk for failure

in the future.

What about the refrigerator’s compressor?

That repair is not recommended for a do-it-

yourselfer. You should have a licensed

technician inspect and replace the

compressor if necessary.