Refrigerator repair · Tulsa, OK
Fridges hum, gurgle and pop on a normal day. A squeal, a grind or a click that keeps coming back is different. Here’s how to tell which one you’ve got.
Before you call
What usually causes it
This fan in the freezer runs whenever the compressor does. A worn motor chirps or squeals, and ice building up around the blade makes a ticking or scraping sound. Ice there usually means the defrost system isn’t keeping up.
Colby replaces a noisy motor and, if ice is the cause, fixes the defrost problem behind it.
Down at the back, beside the compressor, this fan cools the coils. Dust, a stray scrap of paper or a worn bearing makes it rattle, buzz or rub.
He clears the area, checks the blade, and replaces the motor if the bearing is worn.
A compressor that clicks on, buzzes and clicks off again over and over is struggling to start, and the fridge usually warms up. A loud knock or a heavy drone from the compressor can mean it’s wearing out.
He tests the start relay and the overload first, since they’re small parts, before he passes judgment on the compressor.
Grinding or a long buzz at the ice maker can be its motor, a jammed ejector or the water valve. A clatter when ice drops into the bin is normal.
He checks the ice maker’s motor, the fill and the valve, and replaces what has failed.
Questions
AA low hum while it runs, gurgling or hissing as the refrigerant moves, a crack or pop as the plastic warms and cools, a click when it starts or stops, and ice dropping into the bin. Newer fridges with variable-speed compressors run longer, and speed up for a while after the door has been open or warm food goes in.
AIf the fridge is getting warm too, it’s usually the compressor trying to start and failing. The start relay is the first thing Colby tests, because it fails far more often than the compressor.
AA noise with steady cold is usually a fan on its way out, and it can often wait a few days. A noise with a warming fridge can’t, because the next step is spoiled food.
AYes. There’s a diagnostic fee for the visit, and if you have Colby do the repair, the diagnostic fee is waived.
AMost appointments are within 48 hours, many within 24, and often the same day. Call or text and Colby will give you the soonest time he has.
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Tell us what's wrong and how to reach you. Colby will call or text you back.
