Every once in a while, I hear noises from the top freezer part. I assumed that it was ice cubes dropping into the collection tray. I put an empty tray under the cube maker but nothing appears in it after the rattling sound.
There is a handle that when raised is supposed to stop the ice maker function. Even when up, I still hear the sound.
Suggestions?
Maytag PTB2153DRW
Thanks,
R1
I found the owner's manual. Here's what it says:
"Certain sounds may accompany the various cycles of the ice maker. The motor may have a slight hum, the cubes will rattle as they fall into an empty storage pan and the water valve may click or ?buzz? occasionally."
Problem is, I hear the rattling even if not cubes are falling into the pan.
The ice maker makes noises at various points of its cycle - not just when the cubes fall. There is noise when the tray fills with water, when the mechanism is changing positions (for example, from make ice to get ready to dump ice) and when it actually dumps the ice. Your noise could be one of those or something else entirely. All you say is "noises" so that makes it hard to disgnose remotely.
I get an noise when an ice cube is stuck in the tray, forcing the unit to continue to recycle until I force the stuck cube out. Check this out.
I hear it, too, and I don't have an ice maker. Now that you've got me wondering, I'll log the times I hear it. I think it might be the evaporator cooling after a defrost.
From here, it "sounds like" (sorry) a bit of a non issue. If the noise is irritating, it's not dificult to remove the ice maker in most freezers. Couple screws, and a wire.
. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus
Is it the same time every day, that implies something on a clock. Could it be melting ice during the defrost cycle?
The sound is definitely not coming from the ice maker, which is on the left side of the freezer. More from the right wall, but knocking on it with my knuckles doesn't trigger the sound. The rattling only occurs when the motor is running.
Even stranger than the rattling is there is no shut off valve on the copper water line to the ice maker. The line emerges from the baseboard. On the opposite side is a bedroom. Bizarre! If the line leaked, I'd have to shut the water to the entire house off as far as I can tell. I've been here only a month, so I don't know all the in's and out's of the house.
R1
I get noises a little like ice cubes dropping, and I don't have an ice maker. When I mentioned it before, it was two or three days before I heard it again. Then it seemed to happen every time the compressor started.
It might last ten seconds, maybe a dozen knocks, irregularly spaced like corn popping.
I checked my defrost cycle. It's 10 minutes at 363 watts following by 20 minutes of rest.
I haven't checked to see if it's always 10 minutes of heat. If it is, that's probably the minimum to keep things working. Depending on the dew point in the house and how much the door is open while the blower is running, that might not be quite enough for everything to drip down and drain. Maybe there's a little ice left on the evaporator, and the dripping water forms icicles, and they pick up frost. When the blower comes on, some little icicles break off and are blown into something.
That's my theory. I suppose I could prove it by unscrewing the panel at the back of the compartment and looking for bits of ice the next time I hear it. I'm too lazy for that, so I'll assume it's harmless.
Interesting theory. I'll try finding a similar pattern. Yes, the noise does appear harmless, but I'm a perfectionist, and in all my years (more than 70), I've never hear such a noise. The house I just sold had a
15-year-old refrig that never made any noise other than the compressor.
I'm going to go waaaay out on a limb here and say it has nothing to do with the ice maker and everything to do with the refrigerant.
My bottom-freezer unit makes this noise from time to time that I describe a s metallic bubbling or popping or chattering. I had a Kenmore (mea culpa, m ea culpa) repairman say he could find no problem. Said it had to do with th e coolant line.
Flash-forward two years, and the new refrigerator/freezer we bought for the church kitchen had the same issue. Had a repair person from the local comp any we bought it from come out, and as soon as he heard it said it was a pr oblem with the new R-410A refrigerant they now use in all new refrigerators . It's not a problem, it won't break anything, but damned if "progress" isn 't noisy.
time that I describe as metallic bubbling or popping or chattering. I had a Kenmore (mea culpa, mea culpa) repairman say he could find no problem. Said it had to do with the coolant line.
freezer we bought for the church kitchen had the same issue. Had a repair person from the local company we bought it from come out, and as soon as he heard it said it was a problem with the new R-410A refrigerant they now use in all new refrigerators. It's not a problem, it won't break anything, but damned if "progress" isn't noisy.
I've know of compressors to gurgle when charged. And who knows? Might be part of the refrigeration system.
As to refrigerators, I've seen R134a. R-410a is used in newer central AC systems. Some freezers take R404a.
Here's a picture of the bottom rear of the refrigerator:
The problem is in the shock-mounted unit on the right. Its fan has axial play, about 1/16", that causes the "rattling." With power off, if I rap my knuckles against the unit, I will hear the rattling every time.
Maybe if I intentionally "unleveled" the refrigerator so the left or right side is slightly higher, the noise will go away. Even without taking any further measures, just knowing the source of the rattling is comforting.
Thank, everyone, for your comments.
R1
Lucky you, that's plenty of room to work. If you want to replace that fan, a good appliance parts house can get you a drop in replacement. A two watt CCW fan motor called a "unit motor" should run twenty or thirty bucks.
I've replaced those with pretty much no room to work, and no fun at all.
Please replace the cardboard on back of the fridge, the cardboard is essential to it running properly.
OK to use some compressed air and blow gun to clean the dust out of the black condenser, just right of the fan (as we're viewing the unit).
- . Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus
Have you tried bending some part of the metal involved, just a little bit, but enuf to see if that stops the annoying noise. You don't want to bend t he tubing, but there are other things you could bend. You could also use a piece of sponge rubber wedged in various locations to see the effect.
involved, just a little bit, but enuf to see if that stops the annoying noise. You don't want to bend the tubing, but there are other things you could bend. You could also use a piece of sponge rubber wedged in various locations to see the effect.
The OP can wrap the fan and blade in three layers of duct tape, if needed. Can't say the fridge will keep temps, but it will be quiet.
- . Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus
I like the idea of replacing just the fan motor. I would never that considered doing that. Here's a video of how to do it:
Here's another video:
At time 4:00 he warns to make sure the screws are tight or else there could be a rattle. Maybe that's my problem. I'll check tomorrow.
What's puzzling is why the rattling comes and goes during the on cycle for no apparent reason.
Thanks,
R1
Was someone murdered in your refrigerator? Might need to call a priest.
Happy haloween. Sleep well.
- . Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus
I went to a local parts place for a replacement fan motor. It had the same amount of axial play as my present one, so I didn't buy it.
As the clerk and I were talking, he suggested the source of the rattling was the compressor. That does make sense, because the sound does come from that side of the refrigerator (lower right, looking in from the front). I can rap the compressor, but it won't trigger the rattling. I guess it's an amazing coincidence that rapping the condenser coils triggers the rattling sound, but rapping the compressor doesn't.
There is a loose cover over the electrical connections to the compressor (not shown in the photo). It doesn't make the same rattling noise, but I tightened it by wedging several thickness of paper around it. The intermittent rattling still exists.
Something I hadn't mentioned is that there is a large vertical coil of copper tubing leading to the ice maker, which "unwinds" as I pull the 'frig forward. With the 'frig in its normal location close to the wall, I thought the coils might be vibrating against each other, but they aren't.
I'm going to take the advice offered several days ago and just live with it as long as the 'frig is working.
Thanks, again, to all for your thoughtful suggestions.
R1
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