Have you noticed strange knocking sounds coming from your refrigerator? It sounds alarming, but there are quite a few easy fixes that can solve the problem. Read on to find out the most common causes of knocking sounds and what to do to fix them!
We’ll start with the easiest fix! Refrigerators have fans that cause them to vibrate slightly, which creates a low, almost imperceptible hum. If your refrigerator is off balance, however, the vibrations from the fans can cause it to knock against the wall, your kitchen bench, or a nearby appliance, producing a knocking sound.
Thankfully, the fix for this is super simple! Just follow these steps:
The evaporator fan is located inside the freezer compartment, behind a panel at the back. It works to circulate cold air throughout the freezer=, but in some cases, ice buildup can cause the fan to seize or become noisy.
First, make sure the noise is coming from the evaporator fan. Open the freezer compartment, remove any food so you can access the back panel, and listen. If the knocking sound comes from this area, it’s almost certainly an evaporator fan issue.
You have two options—you can either assume that ice is causing the issue, and go immediately to a manual defrost, or you can remove the back panel to confirm there is ice. How to remove the back panel will differ depending on your brand of refrigerator, so consult your owner’s manual before beginning. Make sure you turn off your refrigerator before beginning any work.
To manually defrost your evaporator fan:
If the knocking sound is fixed, it’s worthwhile investigating why the evaporator fan iced up in the first place, as it can indicate deeper issues with the defrost thermostat. Power outages or repeatedly leaving the freezer door open can lead to condensation issues, so ensure your freezer is set to the right temperature and that you’re not leaving the door open for long periods.
If your compressor is malfunctioning, it can lead to a knocking or buzzing sound coming from the back of your refrigerator. To investigate this issue:
If your fridge has an ice maker, this could be responsible for the knocking sound. There are two main causes for this.
If the ice maker is misaligned, the ejector arm may bump against other fridge components when trying to eject the ice. To fix this:
Ice cubes can get stuck in the ejector arm, and this can cause a knocking sound as the ice maker continually senses that there is ice in it and tries to empty it out. To fix this:
If the water inlet valve in your fridge is damaged, or if it has dirt or mineral deposits on it, this could lead to a knocking sound as water tries to flow through it. To fix this:
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