I have a Amana fridge and when the fan starts it makes a noise for about 10 seconds. The fan continues to run with out any noise. I took the back panel off the fridge and it seems like the noise is coming from part with the copper lines running out of it. Do I have to have the fridge recharged with chemicals? Slow leak? Any advice would be appreciated. The noise happens about every 10 minuets and the fan only runs for 20 seconds or so.
My Kenmore has a noisy fan, id'e unplug the thing (the fan) if I could get to it ...
The Fan motor or blade might be faulty or there could be a build up of frost or dirt. Try fully defrosting the fridge and if that doesn't cure the problem. Take the panel off and inspect the fan.
There is a pretty good chance the fan motor itself is failing. You could proactively replace it or try to oil the bearings in it. Or you could be lazy like me... mine has been doing it for six years now. I figure one day it will konk out and I'll take advantage of the opportunity to upgrade to a new more efficient model.
Steve B.
Could be a problem in the compressor. Manufacturers do not yet manage to keep them quiet when starting. However, your fridge should only make noise for a second or so.
virtuPIC
-- Airspace V - international hangar flying!
Sure, and then the coils will freeze and the fridge will no longer cool. That fan is there for a reason.
THe fans on my PC does that. Rattles like hell for a few minutes then quiets down. I attribute that to a failing bearing on the motor. Upon startup the bearing is cool and the shaft is rotating slow, under these conditions it cavitates or rattles. When it reaches full speed which takes a while due to the friction in the bad bearing and the vibration, then it balances out and runs quiet.
I had a similar symptom in my drier, when it started it would rattle for a minute then quiet down. The cause was the opposite. The impeller (equivelent to a fan blade) was loose on the motor shaft. When the motor started, the impeller would sit still with the shaft spinning loosly inside its center. After a while the friction would spin the impeller up to the shaft speed and it would be quiet. I replaced the clamp and modified the impeller so it would not slip and the problem was solved.
the bearings in a fan like that generally are sealed and cannot be replaced or lubricated (you can try though). Typically you need to outright replace the fan. The price for the part is reasonable usually only a few tens of dollars but if you can't do it yourself, the labor will be a killer. Look for the wiring diagram, exploded view and parts list. It should be either in the owners manual, stuck to the back of the fridge or rolled up and stuffed in the underside near the compressor or on the internet. This will tell you the part number so you can at least price out the part and estimate if you can handle the repair.
If your fridge is over 7 years old, get rid of it and buy an energy star model. Last year I replaced an old Amana side by side (over 12 years old). I payed for the entire thing with savings on my electric bill in barely a year. I am saving over $30 per month (actually I forget the exact numbers but it was very significant)
Good point about the coil freezing (one I hadn't considered) thanks !
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.