Why Do Fridges Make Noise?
Quick answer
Most fridge noises are normal. Humming comes from the compressor and fans, gurgling and boiling sounds are refrigerant flowing, clicks are the thermostat or controls switching, and popping or cracking is plastic expanding and contracting during defrost. New, loud or constant grinding, squealing, rattling or buzzing usually points to a fan, a loose part or a failing compressor and is worth investigating.
Every fridge makes noise. It has a compressor, fans, valves and a defrost system that switch on and off all day. The trick is telling normal operating sounds from the ones that mean something is wrong.
Normal fridge noises
| Sound | What it is |
|---|---|
| Low hum | The compressor and fans running. Modern fridges often run for long periods at low speed. |
| Gurgling, bubbling or boiling | Refrigerant circulating through the cooling system. GE notes it can also happen just after the door closes. |
| Clicking | The thermostat or control board switching the compressor on and off, or air dampers opening and closing. Repeated clicking for a few minutes after a power cut is often the compressor trying to restart. |
| Popping or cracking | Plastic liners and parts expanding and contracting as temperatures change, especially around a defrost cycle. |
| Sizzling | Water dripping onto the defrost heater during the defrost cycle. |
| Whooshing | Fans moving air, often louder just after the door has been open. |
| Buzzing from the ice maker | The water valve opening to refill the ice maker. If it buzzes repeatedly, check that the water supply is turned on. |
| Clunk or rattle into the bin | The ice maker dropping a batch of ice. |
| Water rushing or knocking | The water valve opening or closing for the dispenser or ice maker. |
Newer, more efficient fridges can sound different from older ones, with more high-pitched or variable-speed sounds, because they use variable-speed compressors and fans.
Noises that may mean a problem
Rattling
- Something on top of or behind the fridge vibrating against it.
- A loose drain pan underneath. Push it back into place.
- The fridge isn’t level or isn’t sitting firmly on all its feet. Adjust the levelling legs.
- Pipes at the back touching the wall or each other.
Squealing, chirping or grinding
Usually a fan: the evaporator fan inside the freezer or the condenser fan near the compressor at the back. Ice building up around the evaporator fan in the freezer can make it scrape or chirp. Dust and fluff on the condenser fan can make it noisy. Fans are replaceable parts.
Loud buzzing or humming
A constant, louder-than-usual buzz can come from a fan motor wearing out or the compressor working too hard, often because the condenser coils are clogged with dust.
Clicking without the compressor starting
If you hear a click every few minutes, the fridge is warm, and the compressor never runs, the start relay or the compressor itself may be failing. This needs a technician.
Knocking from the back
Often the compressor or a fan hitting something, or the fridge being too close to the wall. If knocking continues after you’ve moved the fridge out a little and levelled it, get it checked.
GE’s advice is that any noise not on the list of normal sounds may need a technician to diagnose it.
How to make a fridge quieter
- Level the fridge. Use a spirit level and the adjustable feet. A slight backward tilt also helps the doors close.
- Give it space. Leave the clearances your manual recommends at the back and sides so it isn’t vibrating against cabinets or the wall.
- Clean the condenser coils at the back or behind the kick plate at the bottom. Dusty coils make the compressor and fan run longer and louder.
- Don’t block the vents inside. Packing food against the air vents in the fridge or freezer can make fans work harder and cause frost.
- Check the drain pan and anything on top of the fridge.
- Place it on a solid floor. An anti-vibration mat can help on hollow wooden floors, but don’t cover or block any vents underneath.
When is a noisy fridge a reason to replace it?
Noise on its own rarely is. A failing fan or a loose part is a cheap fix. It’s worth thinking about replacement if the noise comes with the fridge not staying cold (above 40°F in the fresh-food section), and a technician says the compressor or sealed system has failed. See 13 telling signs that you need a new refrigerator.