Refrigerator Making Unusual Noises What’s Normal and What’s Not

Many refrigerator sounds are part of normal operation, including buzzing or clicking from the water valve, popping as the walls expand and contract, and gurgling during defrost. Persistent grinding or rattling, especially alongside poor cooling, is the pattern worth booking a diagnosis for, while a vibration usually points to leveling or something touching the cabinet.

A refrigerator that has grown noisy upsets the household’s normal rhythm. A sound on its own does not point to a bad part, so begin with safe, repeatable observations that will also be useful should you arrange Kenmore service later.

Ordinary upkeep is one thing; anything that needs testing or taking the unit apart is another. A lock, a safety switch or an error message is never something to override for the sake of keeping the refrigerator running. Jotting down notes at this stage helps the later diagnosis go faster and land more accurately.

Start with the simple conditions

Take things off and away from the cabinet, check that the refrigerator is level, and leave enough space that nothing behind or above it can buzz against it. Do the checks with the unit left in place and never force panels, fittings or controls. If a small adjustment alters the sound, let it run through one ordinary cycle before concluding anything.

Humming, gurgling, clicking and the odd pop can all be normal, whereas grinding or rattling that persists alongside weak cooling is another story. Watch for a pattern: every time, only with certain settings or loads, or only after a long run. Knowing that is worth more than switching the unit off and on repeatedly. Whether the noise is constant, comes and goes or follows ice and water dispensing tells you more about its source than how loud it is.

Which sounds does the manual list as normal?

The use-and-care manual for one Kenmore side-by-side lists normal sounds and their sources. Buzzing or clicking comes from the water valve, and cracking or crashing is ice being ejected. Popping is the cabinet walls expanding and contracting, pulsating or whirring is the fans and compressor adjusting, and rattling can come from the water line or refrigerant flow.

Water running or gurgling is defrost, and a sizzling sound is water dripping on the heater during defrost. Your own manual lists the sounds for your model.

Safe checks that protect the appliance

Model-specific controls, filter locations and service intervals are spelled out in the use-and-care manual. Stick to parts it calls user-serviceable, choose cleaners from its recommended list, and seat every removable piece the way it was designed to fit.

Prior to another attempt, move aside whatever is in the way, and be sure airflow, water supply and door clearance have not been cut off. Frequent resets are best avoided because they can hide an intermittent fault while water, heat or pressure ends up where it should not.

• Write down any message or code on the display prior to clearing it.
• Inspect visible hoses, vents, seals and plugs while leaving electrical connections undisturbed.
• Prefer one controlled test to a string of quick repeats.
• Pay attention to whether the sound tracks ice or water dispensing, since that often explains clicking or crashing.
• Make sure the leveling feet are planted firmly on the floor.

Why do the room and the load change what you hear?

The same manual says the compressor and fans of an energy-efficient refrigerator run at lower speeds, so longer run time is normal, more so in a warm room or after loading food. A steady, even hum is the machine working, not a sign of trouble.

A rocking cabinet is a different matter. If the refrigerator rocks, the manual says to lower the leveling feet through the base grille so it sits firmly. Items stacked on top or touching the wall can also hum against the cabinet, which is why moving them is the first check. Rear covers stay on.

Know when the symptom needs diagnosis

Should the symptom persist after the simple checks, go no further than the user-serviceable limit. Gas connections, refrigerant lines and internal wiring, along with motors, pumps, heating circuits and control boards, need the right test equipment and a technician able to verify safe repair.

Call for service without waiting if the refrigerator’s performance slides, it trips a breaker, leaks close to electrical components, gives off a burnt or hot smell, develops a fresh grinding noise, or cannot run through a normal cycle. A safety warning is a reason to stop using it.

What to tell the technician

Give the full model number and describe the exact noise, when it began, the settings in use and the checks you ran. Whether the sounds follow dispensing is useful detail. A short description or a photo of a displayed code helps too, but never take off a cover to get one.

Noticing details will not fix a fault, yet it makes the strongest opening move. Sort out the easy conditions, hold onto useful error information, and pass electrical, gas, sealed-system and internal mechanical jobs to a specialist Kenmore technician.

Common questions

Why does my refrigerator gurgle or hiss?

Water running or gurgling is listed as a normal defrost sound, and sizzling is water dripping on the heater during defrost. Check your own manual for the sounds it describes.

What is the crashing sound from the freezer?

On the Kenmore side-by-side manual, cracking or crashing is ice being ejected into the bin. A cycle of ice dropping is expected with an ice maker.

When is a refrigerator noise a reason to book service?

A new grinding or a persistent rattle that does not change after leveling and clearing the cabinet, especially with warm food, deserves a diagnosis. A sound alone does not identify the part, so describe when it occurs.

Need help now? Visit our services page or contact us.

Official manuals and support notes are available on Kenmore Support.

Note the complete model number prior to buying any part, because board and sensor revisions can alter which part number fits.

A passing fault may disappear after the power is switched off and on once, but a code that comes back again and again suggests something physical is still wrong.

Between visits, keep vents and filters unblocked; poor airflow can look a lot like an electrical or sensor problem.

Water, a burning smell or sparking means the appliance should stop being used until a professional can inspect it.