As the head of a household, you might well be used to noise by now. However, there are some that can crop up that may be a cause for concern. While you might be used to hearing noises from the fridge, there are some that should give you a little extra pause for thought. If you’re hearing sounds beyond the occasional hum from your fridge, it could be a sign of a deeper problem that’s going to need some inspecting.
The endless hum
As mentioned, you shouldn’t be too worried about hearing that your refrigerator is humming. As mentioned, this usually means that it’s cycling, which is running the cooling component in order to maintain the temperatures needed to keep your foods fresh and prevent waste. That said, if it’s starting to do this all the time, something has gone wrong with the cooling component. Usually, it’s that there’s dust and dirt trapped around the condenser coils, which you can clean. Otherwise, your energy bills could skyrocket as your fridge is going to be constantly “on.”
Does it sound like a scraping or grinding sound?
If the sound isn’t the fridge’s usual hum, but rather sounds like a metal scrape, then there’s a good chance of the fridge’s fans is obstructed. Locate the fans, usually one at the bottom and the other in the freezer, then turn it off to inspect. You might be able to clean out the obstruction, but if there’s a broken or bent blade, you might need to get replacement parts to fix your fridge. This is vital as it helps the cool air get around the fridge, too.
Is your defrost timer working properly?
Your defrost timer is designed to prevent frost from building up in the freezer section of the fridge. However, a prolonged ticking noise could be a sign that it’s not working properly. Furthermore, if your fridge is starting to get frosty, this is another sign it’s not working properly. Ask a repair professional to help you fix the timer, and clean out the frost carefully to stop it from freezing your drawers in place. Otherwise, it can cause cracks and breakages in plastic that might require you to pay for replacements.
An odd rattling
Usually, the cause of a strange rattling noise, especially at the back or side of the fridge, is that it’s simply too close to the wall or another surface. Fridges vibrate subtly, even if you can’t see it. It might be vibrating against something else, causing that strange rattling noise. This can also happen if the fridge is on a surface that isn’t level. Unlevel surfaces can also cause issues like leaking water from the fridge, and loosened drain pans, so you want to adjust the legs of the fridge to stop that from happening.
Your fridge is a crucial part of daily family life, so you shouldn’t take the chance if you think there might be something wrong with it. Hopefully, the tips above can help you get to the issue.
This is a collaborative post
