Is my fridge ill?

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There doesn't seem to be a forum for "bastardly home appliances" so I have put this here.

My fridge, which is 15 years old (and the youngest I have ever owned....I actually bought it NEW!!!!) is making a godawful racket when the motor runs.

It SOUNDS as though things are rattling together in there......but I have ransacked the thing looking for rattlers, and seem to have moved everything, to no avail.

Is this likely to be a death rattle? Are fridges worth repairiong any more?

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Does the rattling come from high up in it or down low, or all over it? I once came late on a Sunday evening for a rattling rgefrigerator, and all I had to do was take a platter with some spoons and glasses in it off of the top.

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Sounds like the bearings to me, which would probably be the death rattle. I'm no refrigerator expert, I've just had them with death rattles.

On the other hand, when I moved here, my five year old refrigerator had a weird motor noise, very bearing soundy. I gnashed my teeth. A friend suggested making sure the refrigeror was level, as that could affect matters.
I couldn't find my level. Moved the refrigerator here and there anyway. The noise stopped. About a year later it started in again. I moved it again, It shut up. So far so good.

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Other rattles I have found were loose drain pans on the bottom. Ice forming around the evaporator fan will be very loud, until it becomes ice-bound and can no longer turn.

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edgarblythe wrote:

Does the rattling come from high up in it or down low, or all over it? I once came late on a Sunday evening for a rattling rgefrigerator, and all I had to do was take a platter with some spoons and glasses in it off of the top.

It's from the bottom...where I presume the engine is. Thyat's also where the freezer is, and I can hear it best when I open the freezer door.

It's nothing on the top.

ossobuco wrote:

Sounds like the bearings to me, which would probably be the death rattle. I'm no refrigerator expert, I've just had them with death rattles.

On the other hand, when I moved here, my five year old refrigerator had a weird motor noise, very bearing soundy. I gnashed my teeth. A friend suggested making sure the refrigeror was level, as that could affect matters.
I couldn't find my level. Moved the refrigerator here and there anyway. The noise stopped. About a year later it started in again. I moved it again, It shut up. So far so good.

Bearings? ****.

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edgarblythe wrote:

Other rattles I have found were loose drain pans on the bottom. Ice forming around the evaporator fan will be very loud, until it becomes ice-bound and can no longer turn.

Mine's frost free...does it HAVE a drain pan?

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All of them have drain pans.

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Hmmm...sounds like I need to unpack the freezer, then.

Will I be able to see the drain pan then????

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Not being able to hear the sound, dlow, I dunno. Maybe your sound is more ice rattley, or some such. If all else fails, don't forget to move the whole box a bit.

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The drain pan can usually be reached if you take off the "kick plate" or whatever you want to call it, at the bottom front. Also, the copper lines can sometimes be loose enough to vibrate against the frame. Be careful not to put a lot of stress on one of them.

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what's the name of the fridge? Or rather, what's the make and model... (you can tell us the pet name for the fridge too if yo like) - sometimes you can find the guts drawn online....

...i need coffee i think.

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I used to call my white MGB "Flake". Could be a good fridge name..

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make sure the water runs off properly when defrosting .
there should likely be a bit of water in the pan at the bottom underneath the fridge - that shows you it's actually defrosting properly .
clean the coils underneath while you are at it - a lot of dustbunnies can collect on the coils .
there is a special brush you can buy to get into the narrow crevices - but DO NOT shove the brush in or the coils might break .

our fridge will "freeze up" when we've been away for a few weeks and i have a special procedure to make the water run again :wink:
hbg

http://www.myfullerbrush.com/images/Refrigerator-Coil-Brush.jpg

cleaning the coils will save electricity !

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Is my fridge ill?

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