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We have an old Frigidaire freezer/fridge. Every hour or so, it makes a strange, random grinding noise. The noise is middle-pitched and sounds like whining or grinding. In fact the first time I heard it I thought it was a radio. The sound only lasts about ten seconds.
The sound is coming out of the freezer - it's possible the sound is coming out of the area in between the fridge and freezer.
I adjusted the temperature of the freezer - I don't think it made a difference. The sound is not superloud but it bugs us. Any ideas? Thanks.
If everything is working correctly with the fridge/freezer, then I wouldn't worry about it. Some refrigerators simply make noise. I'm no refrigerating expert, so I don't know precisely what is causing the noise, but if it's working properly, I wouldn't worry about it.
It sounds like a damper motor. They are geared. When they activate, it is usually is a five to ten second burst of sound that is very faint, even within the cooling chest.
If yours is suddenly noisy, then I would suspect ice buildup. Make certain the vents are not covered with food (you may have to find the manual to discover where the vents are). If that doesn't resolve it, you may want to do a forced defrost - instructions on how to blip it on the control panel into that mode are online.
If that doesn't resolve the noise, you may have the motor or gears going bad. Some replace easily and quickly, some don't.
What you will notice if you have a bad or stuck damper is some areas colder than normal (usually the freezer) and some warmer, to the point of unacceptable.
While you can do a DIY replacement for about $50, if you have to call out a tech you may be better off getting new or going to a used appliance store for a replacement refrigerator.
Agree. First thing to do is clean the coils and fan. If the fridge has to labor harder more often because everything's covered with cr*# and holding in heat, it's probably going to be noisier.
Cleaning condenser coil and fan is always a good idea…
But, as you CLEARLY communicated in your OP- if the sound is coming from “inside” the refrigerator it is most likely one of two things; the damper as harry lamented to or the blower fan on the evaporator- bearing going bad or ice. And if it is an ice accumulation then deeper down the rabbit hole we go.
Decide if you are willing to pay for a repair service or replace the refrigerator. If you already maintain your refrigerator properly then this could be an early warning of a failure. Don’t ignore the warning. Either get it serviced or get a new refrigerator.
It is now making the noise much less often. I took no action.
This fridge is a Fridigaire FRT16NRG. It looks like you can't open a panel on the front to clean it.
The sound comes out of the damper in the freezer which is a rectangular thing with the adjustment dial on it.
The noise starts and stops very abruptly. Would that mean it's because something is dirty?
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