How to Stop a Fridge Freezer Making Noise

Have you spotted a strange noise coming from your fridge freezer? Although it’s one of the largest appliances in your kitchen, you shouldn’t have to put up with a machine that sounds like a jumbo jet getting ready for take-off!

A certain level of noise is to be expected from a fridge freezer. In fact, you might barely notice the regular humming coming from your kitchen if it’s been a common occurrence.

However, fridge freezers that make excessive noises can indicate a problem – not just for your ears.

In this guide, we’re sharing the common faults which can cause a noisy fridge freezer, and how to fix them to restore peace and quiet in your home:

1. Appliance gets louder when opened

If the door of your fridge freezer causes the appliance to make louder noises, the circulation fan in the machine is likely to be the culprit. Since this element is deep inside the appliance and can be tricky to repair, it often requires the attention of an expert.

This issue doesn’t just cause issues with noise; it can cause your fridge freezer to become ineffective, too. That’s because the problem might be affecting your fridge’s temperature control.

If there’s no change in volume when opening and closing the door, the fault may centre around the compressor in the back of your fridge. This may require replacement of the compressor, and if so will also mean the system should be re-gassed.

2. Buzzing refrigerator

Although a small buzzing noise is usually perfectly normal for a fridge freezer with a built-in ice or water dispenser, repeated clicks and buzz could signal a fault.

Again, this may be due to a faulty compressor failure, which requires a fridge freezer repair.

3. Scraping noises

Can you hear scraping noises when you’re digging around your fridge freezer? This could happen after a build-up of ice occurs over the freezer fan. Try defrosting your machine to solve the problem.

If you’ve tried defrosting and your appliance shows no sign of quieting down, you might need to replace the fan. (This can happen if you’ve left the ice build-up for too long, so always check for this when opening your appliance.)

Should this repeat again, you might need to replace the door seal as too much air could be getting in, causing the appliance to be ineffective.

4. Dripping noises from inside the appliance

A noisy fridge freezer can be frustrating but hearing dripping sounds coming from the machine can be even worse… Especially if you’re unsure of where the drip is coming from!

Usually, these noises happen when condensation lands in the drip pan under your appliance. It’s rarely anything to worry about.

However, if a lot of condensation is forming under the appliance (and you hear the dripping noise constantly), double-check that your fridge’s door seal isn’t broken. This will let the cold air out and add more condensation in the fridge, which will worsen the dripping noise.