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A refrigerator pulled forward from its cabinet gap with the lower rear access panel removed, the condenser fan exposed.

Refrigerator
Making a Loud Noise

Buzzing, clicking, rattling or knocking — the kind of noise narrows it more than the volume does.

(844) 681-4650

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 5 causes, cheapest first

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 681-4650

What it
usually means.

A refrigerator contains three things that can be heard: two or three fans, a compressor, and water moving. Almost every noise complaint resolves to one of them, and which one is usually clear from the character of the sound and from whether it changes when a door is opened. A fan noise stops when the door opens; a compressor noise does not.

A technician's hands holding a digital multimeter against a wiring connector inside an open refrigerator, the cabinet lit from within. The 5 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

What kind of noise: buzz, hum, click, rattle, knock or squeal?
02

Does it stop when you open the freezer door?
03

Is it constant, or does it come in bursts every few hours?
04

Is it coming from the back, the bottom, or from inside the compartment?
05

Has anything changed about where the appliance stands?

Check these
before you book.

Refrigerator making loud noise: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

Open the freezer door and note whether the noise stops.

02

Check the appliance is level and not touching the cabinets or the wall.

03

Time the noise; anything on a several-hour cycle is probably the ice maker.

Also worth checking

  • Listen at the back and at the bottom and say where it is loudest.
  • Note whether it started suddenly or has grown over weeks.

How soon does it need a visit?

Most refrigerator noises are not urgent. A new knocking or deep humming from the compressor, especially with any loss of cooling, is the exception.

The causes,
cheapest first.

5 things refrigerator making a loud noise turns out to be, from not level, or touching a cabinet to compressor or its mounts.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no repair

    Not level, or touching a cabinet

    A unit resting against a wall or a neighboring cabinet transmits normal vibration into the structure, which amplifies it.

    No repair: check it yourself
  2. 02 no repair

    Ice maker cycling

    A short burst of clicking and rushing water every few hours is the ice maker filling and harvesting, and it is normal.

    No repair: check it yourself
  3. 03 low

    Evaporator fan hitting frost

    A fan blade catching ice makes a distinctive intermittent scraping, and it stops the moment the freezer door opens.

    Fixed by fan and airflow repair See frost building up in the refrigerator
  4. 04 low

    Condenser fan obstructed

    Debris in the fan at the bottom or back gives a rattle that does not change when doors are opened.

    Fixed by fan and airflow repair
  5. 05 moderate to highest

    Compressor or its mounts

    A knock or a deep hum from the bottom rear that is new and getting worse is the one noise worth acting on quickly.

    Fixed by sealed system and compressor
  6. What it costs

    Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side

    Open the cost guide

The makes
it happens on.

31 makes on this site; refrigerator making a loud noise can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 31 brands

Refrigerator Making a Loud Noise,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

A family preparing a meal together in their kitchen
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
refrigerator making a loud noise.

Is gurgling or hissing normal?
Yes. Refrigerant moving through the tubing gurgles and hisses, particularly just after the compressor starts or stops, and a defrost cycle can add a sizzle as meltwater drips onto the heater. These sounds are part of normal operation and do not need a visit on their own.
Why is my new refrigerator louder than the old one?
Many newer units use a variable-speed compressor and several fans that run in stages, which sound different from the steady hum of an older design. A rising pitch, clicks as dampers move and a soft whoosh from the fans are normal. A new sound that grows over the following weeks is the one to report.
It got noisier after we moved it. Was it damaged?
Usually not. A unit pushed back unevenly, or left touching a cabinet, transmits vibration it did not before, and tubing at the back can end up resting against the wall and buzzing. Pull it out slightly, level it and make sure nothing at the back is touching; if the noise continues, note whether it comes from the bottom rear.
How do I capture the noise for the technician?
Record a short phone video with the doors closed, then open the freezer door while it is still recording. Hold the phone near the bottom rear and then near the freezer back panel. A noise that comes and goes is easy to miss during a visit, and a recording often settles it.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing refrigerator making a loud noise?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

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