Noisy Fridge Freezer

[minniemoo]

Hi all, my fridge freezer has started making a rather loud noise - something like a freezer that makes ice cubes - only mine doesn't. It is so loud that I have to turn the television up sometimes. We have had it for about 5 years and other than the noise, there is nothin wrong with it. Has anyone got any ideas what could be wrong with it? Thanks.

[sara3]

is anything catching on the fan at the back?

assuming it has one.. mine does. sometimes a bit of packaging gets caught in it

[Clanad]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it sounds like your compressor may be failing. Any note of change in cooling in the fridge or freezer?

[minniemoo]

sara3 no there is nothing in the fan I have checked. I have moved most of the food into the other drawers so the fan is totally clear.

Clanad I thought you might say that - we have checked our guarantee and we got the 5 year one and it has just run out. When the compressor goes does that mean that it won't work any more?

[Clanad]

After a while, minniemoo… they (the compressor) often start making noises as you suggest and then totally fail. The compressor is simply a piston (or a scroll looking device) moving inside a cylinder compressing the gas that eventually causes the cooling (long story) and it's really the only thing in the entire system that can make that kind of noise… unfortunately. Hopefully you may find something else, but I don't know what it could be… Luck!

[Clanad]

On second thought, minniemoo, with a possible ray of light… if your fridge is a fridge and freezer combo, there's a fan that moves the air from the freezer to the fridge through a small, electronically controlled opening between the two compartments. It is possible that that fan is failing… either the motor or the fan blades themselves. This is rather inexpensive to repair… Hope!

If this is the type of unit you have, turn down the temperature control so as to demand colder air, hold the door switch closed (on the door that turns the light off when the dodo's closed), and listen to the fan and feel the air moving… see if there's any strange sounds or no air moving. If this was the cause, the fridge would be getting warmer, even with the unit running...