Fridge Making Noise? What’s Normal and What’s Not

A fridge making noise is usually doing exactly what it should, because a modern fridge hums, gurgles, clicks and occasionally pops as part of normal running. Steady humming is the compressor, trickling or gurgling is refrigerant moving through the system, clicking is the defrost timer switching, and popping or cracking is the plastic lining expanding and contracting with temperature. What is not normal is loud rattling, grinding, squealing or knocking, which usually means something is loose, touching, or a fan or the compressor is wearing out. This guide sorts the harmless sounds from the ones worth acting on, and shows you the safe checks before you call anyone.

The first job with a fridge making noise is to work out whether the sound is one of the normal operating noises or a genuine fault, because the fix, or whether there is anything to fix at all, depends entirely on that. Kitchens are quieter than they used to be, so a fridge making noise carries further and gets noticed more, even when nothing is wrong.

Normal fridge noises you can ignore

Most of the time a fridge making noise is completely healthy. These are the sounds that are part of how it works.

• Humming. A steady, low fridge humming is the compressor running, the heart of the cooling system. It cycles on and off through the day and is louder when the compressor first kicks in to bring the temperature down. This is normal.
• Gurgling or trickling. A soft bubbling or trickling is refrigerant flowing through the pipes, and it is most noticeable just after the compressor stops. Completely normal.
• Clicking. A click every so often is usually the defrost timer or a relay switching the system between modes. A single click now and then is fine.
• Popping or cracking. Sharp pops and cracks are the plastic interior and walls expanding and contracting as they warm and cool. Harmless.
• A short buzz when filling. If your fridge has an ice maker or water dispenser, a brief fridge buzzing as the water valve opens to fill is normal.

Fridge noises that mean something is wrong

Other sounds are worth paying attention to, because they point to a part that is loose, rubbing or wearing out. This is when a fridge making noise is telling you something rather than just running.

• Loud rattling or vibrating. A rattle often means the fridge is touching a wall or cabinet, sitting unevenly, or has items on top that vibrate. It can also be the drip tray at the base. These are usually easy to sort yourself.
• Grinding or squealing. A grinding, squealing or scraping fridge noise commonly comes from a fan motor whose bearing is wearing, either the evaporator fan inside or the condenser fan at the back. This needs a technician.
• Loud knocking or a labouring compressor. A noisy fridge compressor that knocks loudly, is much louder than usual, or runs constantly without cycling off can be a sign of a compressor or sealed-system problem. That is a technician’s job.
• Buzzing that is new and constant. A new, loud, constant fridge buzzing that is not tied to the ice maker filling is worth having checked.

Safe checks for a fridge making noise

Before assuming the worst, run through the simple causes, because a lot of rattles and vibrations come from outside the sealed system where it is safe to look. Most of the time a fridge making noise like a rattle is fixed in a couple of minutes.

Level it and give it space

Make sure the fridge is sitting level and firm on all its feet, with nothing rocking. Check it is not pressed hard against the wall or a cabinet, since even light contact transmits the compressor’s hum into the joinery and amplifies it. A finger-width gap around the back and sides lets it run quietly and helps it cool properly.

Check the top and the drip tray

A fridge making noise like a rattle is often this. Take anything sitting on top of the fridge off and see if the rattle stops, because bottles and containers buzz against the cabinet as it vibrates. At the base, the drip tray that catches defrost water can shift and rattle. If yours is accessible from the front at floor level, check it is seated properly.

Clean the condenser coils

Dusty condenser coils make the compressor work harder and run louder and longer than it needs to, which is a common reason for a fridge making noise more than it used to. On many fridges the coils are at the back or behind a kick panel at the bottom front. With the fridge switched off at the wall, vacuum the dust off the coils with a brush attachment. This is safe, worthwhile maintenance that can quieten a fridge and help it cool. If it is also struggling to stay cold, our guide on a fridge that is not getting cold covers the related checks.

When a fridge making noise needs a technician

If the fridge is level, clear of the walls, has nothing rattling on top, and the coils are clean, but it is still making a grinding, squealing, knocking or loud constant noise, the fault is inside the machine. A worn fan motor, a failing compressor, or a sealed-system issue with the refrigerant all sit within the electrical and refrigeration parts of the fridge. Those are never a DIY repair, because they involve mains electricity and a sealed refrigerant system that legally and safely requires a qualified technician. A fridge making noise that survives every one of these checks is pointing at an internal part rather than a loose one. Running a fridge with a labouring compressor or a failed fan also risks the temperature climbing, so it is worth acting promptly. Our freezer temperature guide helps you confirm whether the cooling is still holding while you wait.

That is where our team comes in. CAI Appliance Services repairs fridges across Perth, with fully qualified mobile technicians who come to you. We are an authorised service agent for Bosch and Electrolux and their affiliate brands, and we regularly repair LG, Fisher and Paykel, Samsung, Miele, Smeg and Westinghouse fridges too, so the work is done with the correct parts. Call CAI on 0415 343 413 to book a technician.

Frequently asked questions

Keeping the kitchen running well? Read our related guides on a fridge that is not getting cold and our freezer temperature guide, or book a Perth technician with CAI.