GE refrigerator noisy

Why is my GE refrigerator so noisy?

When your GE refrigerator is making unusual noises, it may be caused by these common issues:

• Loose parts.
• Faulty fan motor or fan blade hitting ice buildup.
• Worn-out compressor.

Understanding these causes can help you pinpoint the problem and determine whether it's a DIY fix or if you need to call in the professionals.

Loose Parts

Over time, the regular use of your refrigerator can lead to the loosening of components like door handles, shelves, fan screws or motor mounts. If you suspect this is the cause, a careful inspection and tightening of any loose screws or bolts should help.

If you hear a knocking noise as the compressor turns on and/or shuts off, the compressor motor mounts could be loose. Rattling noises can indicate that fan mounting screws are loose. A loose door handle or shelves can also make rattling noises as the fridge compressor runs.

Fan Problems

A faulty fan motor could also be the culprit. This crucial component circulates air throughout your refrigerator to maintain proper temperature levels. If the motor is malfunctioning, it may make strange noises such as grinding or squeaking. In this case, it's advisable to hire a professional technician for fridge repair near you.

When you hear a loud buzzing noise or grinding noise from inside the freezer compartment, the evaporator fan blade may be hitting ice and frost build-up on the evaporator. The excessive frost and ice could be caused by an air leak into the cabinet or a failure of the automatic defrost system in the fridge.

When you suspect problems with the automatic defrost system, follow the steps in this video to diagnose and fix the problem:

Refrigerator Compressor Problems

An overheated compressor can make loud noises such as loud buzzing or clicking. Dirty condenser coils can cause the compressor to run hotter than normal.

Another possible cause of refrigerator noise is a worn-out compressor. This component is the heart of the cooling system, circulating refrigerant through the refrigerator. If it's worn-out or damaged, it may make excessive noise such as loud buzzing or knocking. The refrigerator may also not cool as well as it should. Unfortunately, compressor issues usually need professional repair or replacement.

If your refrigerator is making noise, it's important to address the problem promptly. Ignoring it can lead to further damage and potential food spoilage. While some issues can be easily fixed by tightening screws or bolts, other problems may require the expertise of a trained technician. Remember, it's always best to call in professional help if you're uncertain or uncomfortable about doing any repairs yourself.

Steps to Silence a Noisy Refrigerator

If your refrigerator is making unusual noise, there are a few steps you can take to quiet it down. Here are some common solutions:

1. Tighten loose screws: Vibrations from the refrigerator can sometimes loosen screws, leading to rattling or buzzing noises. Check the various components like the compressor, fan motor, and condenser, and tighten any loose screws or bolts.
2. Check for excessive frost: When you hear loud buzzing noise coming from the back of the freezer, manually defrost the fridge to see if the noise goes away. To get rid of frost on the evaporator, safely store sensitive medicine and foods in an ice chest and unplug the fridge or turn it off for several hours. Open the freezer door to allow warm air to circulate through the freezer and melt frost and ice off the evaporator fins. Restart the refrigerator and see if the fan still makes noise. If the noise goes away, you’ve resolved the problem – for now. If the noise returns, you’ll likely need to have a service technician diagnose and repair the automatic defrost system.
3. Replace a worn-out fan motor: Buzzing or whining noise may be due to a worn-out fan motor. Consult your refrigerator's manual or contact a professional technician to determine if the fan motor needs replacing.
4. Clean the condenser coils: Dust and debris can accumulate on these coils over time, causing your refrigerator to work harder and make more noise. To clean them, unplug the refrigerator, locate the coils (usually found on the back or underneath), and use a vacuum cleaner or brush to gently remove the dirt. Refer to your owner’s manual for more details on cleaning the condenser coils in your refrigerator.

Here’s a video that shows how to clean the refrigerator condenser coils:

By following these steps, you can address the most common causes of a noisy refrigerator. If the noise persists or you need professional help, consider contacting Sears Home Services for expert repair and maintenance.

What to expect when you experience a GE refrigerator makes noise issue

How is the makes noise problem fixed?

Correcting most makes noise problems usually involves replacing the ice maker assembly, electronic control board or compressor. However, there are many potential causes, so a thorough diagnosis is key to fixing the problem. An accurate diagnosis is essential to understanding how much the repair will be.

Sears Home Services recommendations for a noisy refrigerator

When the refrigerator makes noise it can be for many reasons. To avoid replacing unneeded parts we recommend having a Sears Home Services professional perform diagnostic tests to identify the root cause of the problem. Our technicians are experienced at diagnosing all types of refrigerator failures.

If you’re unable to resolve a noise issue on your own, set up GE refrigerator repair service and we’ll have a Sears Home Services technician visit your home and fix the problem.

What to look out for with a refrigerator that makes noise diagnosis

Diagnosing modern appliances without proper knowledge and training can be difficult. Without using proper diagnostic techniques, fixing your refrigerator problem will only be achieved through changing parts on a hunch. Appliances, especially in the last 10 years, have become extremely advanced, and many models have electronic parts that are difficult to test. DIY repairs on the latest appliance models are becoming increasingly difficult.

Determining the Cause of a GE Refrigerator Making Loud Noise

Finding the cause of a GE refrigerator making loud noise is not always easy. Loud noise can be caused by an evaporator fan, condenser fan or compressor.

If the noise gets louder when you open the freezer door, then the evaporator fan blades may be hitting ice and frost buildup on the bottom of the evaporator.

You may be able to fix this problem temporarily by safely storing food and unplugging the fridge to manually defrost the excessive ice and frost manually. Once that ice and frost melts, the evaporator fan blades will spin freely and not hit the ice and frost buildup. This may eliminate the problem with your GE refrigerator making loud noise.

Try to find the source of excessive ice and frost buildup to prevent the noise from recurring. Look for cracks, damage or loose spots in the refrigerator and freezer door gaskets because that can cause excessive frost buildup on the evaporator.

If the noise resumes, have a service technician diagnose and repair your GE refrigerator.

If the loud noise is coming from the machine compartment at the bottom of the fridge, you’ll likely need to act quickly to eliminate the noise and prevent cooling problems in the fridge. Schedule refrigerator repair service and we’ll send a Sears Home Services technician to your home to fix the loud noise problem in your GE refrigerator.

Why is my GE Refrigerator Making a Humming Noise?

Humming noise coming from your GE refrigerator can be normal if it’s coming from one of these sources:

• The water valves will hum when the automatic ice maker fills with water and when you’re using the water dispenser.
• You’ll hear a humming noise coming from the compressor as it runs.
• The fans will make a faint humming noise when running.

If everything is working in the fridge as you hear these types of humming noise in your GE refrigerator, then everything is likely working properly.

If the humming noise gets louder and you encounter cooling problems, water dispenser issues or the ice maker quits working, you’ll likely need to schedule refrigerator repair service. We’ll send a technician to your home to diagnose and repair the problem.

What to do When your GE Fridge is Making Noise in the Freezer

Noise in the freezer of a GE fridge is often caused by a problem with the icemaker. If an ice cube gets stuck in the arms of the ejector during the harvest process, the ice maker will begin making grinding, groaning and clicking noises as the gears of the ice maker start slipping.

Take immediate action to clear the stuck ice cube when your GE fridge is making these noises in the freezer. Unplug the fridge and use the handle of a wooden spoon or similar tool to pry the stuck ice cube out of the ejector arms. Plug fridge back in and see if the ice maker resumes normal operation. If the icemaker doesn’t start making ice again, you may need to have a Sears Home Services technician replace the ice maker assembly.

Another cause of a GE fridge making noise in the freezer is excessive ice and frost buildup on the evaporator fins. The ice and frost will eventually build up to a point where the evaporator fan in the freezer compartment will start hitting the frost to cause a loud buzzing or grinding noise. You can temporarily eliminate this annoying noise by safely storing food and unplugging the fridge to manually defrost the evaporator. Open the freezer door to help the excessive ice and frost melt off the evaporator faster. After a few hours, close the freezer door and plug the refrigerator back in to restore power.

Remember, this is only a temporary fix. If you don’t take action to correct the cause of the excessive frost buildup on the evaporator fins, the noise will resume.

Check the refrigerator and freezer door gaskets for loose spots or damage and correct that problem to prevent excessive frost buildup. A failure in the automatic defrost system of your GE fridge can also cause the excess frost. Schedule service to have a Sears Home Services technician diagnose and fix that type of failure.

New GE Refrigerator Making Loud Humming Noise

When you have a new GE refrigerator making a loud humming noise and the fridge is still under warranty, you’ll likely need to have the refrigerator repaired by the manufacturer. GE refrigerators generally have a 1 year warranty that covers parts and labor for defects. Some models have a 2 year warranty. The sealed system that includes the compressor, evaporator, condenser and connecting tubing often has a 5 year limited warranty for parts. Check the owner’s manual for your GE fridge to see the details of the warranty and determine whether the failure will be covered.

A GE refrigerator making loud humming noise could be caused by a faulty compressor, an evaporator fan hitting excessive frost on evaporator fins or a bad condenser fan. If the fridge is less than a year old, these types of failures will likely be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.

If your GE refrigerator is older than 1 or 2 years, a failure in the evaporator fan or other problems that don’t involve the sealed system may not be covered by the warranty. Schedule refrigerator repair service and we’ll send a Sears Home Services technician to your home to fix your GE refrigerator. If you suspect a problem with the compressor or sealed system, contact GE to discuss repair options under the warranty.

How to Fix Your GE Refrigerator Making Noise

If your GE refrigerator is making noise, first determine whether the noise if normal. Noises such as the faint buzz of the water valve opening for several seconds to fill the ice mold is normal. Other normal noises include the clunk of ice cubes dropping from the ice maker, cracking, dripping and/or hissing noises made during the automatic defrost system operation, fan noises and the faint buzz of the compressor running.

When your refrigerator is making noise that is loud or unusual and it doesn’t match the above normal noises, then you’ll need to try to determine the source of the noise or schedule repair service to have a Sears Home services technician check your refrigerator and fix the problem.

Abnormal noises that you may hear include:

• The loud buzzing or grinding noise caused by ice or frost buildup on the evaporator hitting the evaporator fan blade.
• Knocking coming from the compressor.
• Snapping and popping from the ice maker with a stuck ice cube in the ejector arms.

You may be able find the source of the noise and fix a simple problem yourself like removing a stuck ice cube. For more serious problems causing your GE refrigerator to make noise, schedule refrigerator repair service and we’ll send a tech to your home to fix the issue.

What to do when your GE Refrigerator Makes Buzzing Noise

Buzzing noise coming from your GE refrigerator is often normal if it happens fairly regularly and is only seconds in duration. You’ll hear a buzzing noise coming from the ice maker fill valve every 15 to 20 minutes as the ice maker refills the ice mold with water during a harvest of ice cubes.

In GE refrigerators with the XWF or XWFE water filters, you’ll hear a buzz for about 5 seconds every hour by an isolation valve in the water system that is designed to prevent major leaks through that type of water filter.

You may hear a faint buzzing noise constantly coming from the compressor as it runs. The compressor runs as much as 75% of the time in a GE fridge so this buzzing noise may seem virtually constant.

When everything is working as it should as your GE refrigerator makes buzzing noise, there’s likely no need to do anything. When you hear buzzing noise and the fridge isn’t cooling properly or the ice maker isn’t working, schedule refrigerator repair service and we’ll send a technician to your home to fix the problem.

Fixing a GE Refrigerator Making Loud Buzzing Noise

Loud buzzing noise coming from your GE refrigerator could be caused by:

• Excessive frost buildup on the evaporator hitting the evaporator fan blade.
• A faulty compressor.
• Bad condenser fan motor.
• Uneven leveling legs.

If your GE refrigerator is making loud buzzing noise inside the freezer compartment, the likely cause is excessive frost build up on the evaporator. The frost will build to a point that it hits the evaporator fan blades to make the loud buzzing noise.

You may be able to fix this problem by safely storing food and manually defrost the evaporator by unplugging the refrigerator and opening the freezer door. After 4 to 6 hours, frost should melt off the evaporator and the evaporator blades should spin freely without making noise.

If this troubleshooting tip works, you’ll also need to look for the cause of excessive frost. A loose or damaged refrigerator or freezer door gasket could be causing excessive frost. A failure in the automatic defrost system could also allow excessive frost to develop. If you’re unable to find and fix the cause of excessive frost and buzzing noise coming from the freezer, schedule service and we’ll send a technician to fix the problem.

Another source of buzzing noise that you may be able to fix yourself is uneven leveling legs. Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual or installation guide for your fridge to adjust leveling legs to eliminate that source of buzzing noise.

You’ll likely need to have a service technician visit your home and fix the other causes of loud buzzing noise in your GE refrigerator.

Troubleshooting a GE Refrigerator Making Loud Humming Noise

Loud humming noise coming from your GE refrigerator could indicate problems with the compressor. An overheated or overworked compressor can begin humming.

Check the condenser coils for excessive dust or dirt. Clean the coils if they’re dirty. Use a coil brush or vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to clean the condenser coils. Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual for your GE refrigerator to access the coils. Unplug the refrigerator power cord before accessing the coils.

Clean the louvers in the machine compartment cover if they’re covered with dust. This will improve cooling air flow going through the machine compartment and around the compressor so the compressor operates smoothly and efficiently. Make sure you position the fridge so it has adequate space (usually 1-inch) of clearance around the cabinet for adequate ventilation air flow through the machine compartment and around the compressor.

If the loud humming noise continues after following these basic troubleshooting steps, schedule refrigerator repair services and we’ll send a Sears Home Services technician to your home to fix the problem.