Loud Noises From a Kenmore Refrigerator: Matching the Sound to the Fan or the Compressor

Refrigerators are never silent, but a new or louder noise is worth reading. The kind of sound and its location usually narrow the cause better than the volume does. Start by working out whether the noise comes from the freezer, the back bottom of the cabinet, or the front.

Matching the sound

• Whirring or chirping from inside the freezer: the evaporator fan, often with ice or frost nearby.
• Rattling from the back bottom: the condenser fan or a loose drip pan.
• Humming from the back that cycles on and off: the compressor and its start parts.
• Clicking every few minutes: a relay or a defrost timer, which can be normal when it is occasional.
• Knocking after a cycle: plastic parts expanding and contracting, usually harmless.

Simple things to try

1. Check that the refrigerator is level and all four feet touch the floor.
2. Make sure nothing rests on top or touches the wall behind it.
3. Look at the drip pan under the unit and see that it sits firmly.
4. Clean the condenser coils if they are covered in dust and pet hair.

When a noise is a warning

A loud noise combined with warm food, or a burning smell, changes the situation. Ice around a fan that has gone quiet or loud usually means airflow is about to stop. A sound alone does not prove the compressor is failing, and replacing the wrong part is an expensive way to find out.

Next step

Record a short video of the noise near the freezer and near the back of the cabinet, and add the model number to your refrigerator repair request. Our workmanship carries a 30-day warranty, and you get the price in writing before we replace anything.