Refrigerator noise

I noticed last week there was water seeping from under my refrigerator. The overflow water pan had...well...overflowed. It was full. I emptied the water, pulled the fridge out and vacuumed the coils and the fan . While I was doing this, the fan came on. Now several times a day, the fan kicks on makes a loud groaning noise! Any ideas...is it time for a new fridge. This one is about 15 years old

Thanks Michael

Reply to
mjnash
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Hi,

The condensor fan motor beside the compressor? If this fails the compressor can overheat and the fan also helps to blow the warm air to evaporate the defrost water. Might just be a bad fan motor and it needs replacing.

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common general replacement condensor fan motor.

No make/model# posted for referance either....

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model# helps.

jeff.

Appliance Repair Aid

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Reply to
jeff

It is not an "overflow pan" but a defrost water drain pan.

If the water there isn't evaporating properly that could happen. An overflow could also be caused by an excessive frost build up on the evaporator (cooling) coil leading to too much water draining into the pan in the first place.

Not a good idea to work on an appliance with it still plugged in!

Maybe something got jammed against the fan during your cleaning or if the fan hit something when it came on, maybe the fan blade got bent and is now off balance?

I doubt it if it's just a problem with the fan or its related components but you'll have to determine what the *exact* cause of the sound is before anyone will be able to give you a more accurate course of action. You can read about causes of usual sounds at the following link:

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Posting the fridge's make and model number might help as well.

Dan O.

- Appliance411.com

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Reply to
Dan O.

Reply to
George E. Cawthon

You might want to do some calculations and grab Consumer Reports latest refrigerator review (a month or 2 ago). Depending on your cost of electricity it might be worthwile to replace the machine or donate it to a charity for a deduction.

refrigerator. The

fridge. This

Reply to
Art Begun

Ok...today I had a little more time to check out the "noise". It is not the fan but the compresor itself. It will groan several times a day. There is also what appears to be a burn spot on the linoleum. Actually it is a very dark brown areal the size of paperback book. Is a compressor an easy fix?

thanks again....Michael

Reply to
mjnash

Compressor is not an easy fix. On some GE machines, the end of the freon tube had a bubble in it and caused groaning and could be relocated so the groan may not be related to any problem. In other words on some GE's of that vintage a groan was normal at times.

Reply to
Art Begun

The full pan of water was probably because the fan was not blowing enough air to re-evaporate the water.

Replacement condensor fan isn't terribly expensive, even if you call a repair guy to put it in. I'd avoid Sears, they are painfull expensive. Try to find someone local.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Compressor is not an easy fix. Assuming the compressor is making bad noises, you'd do better to get a new refrig.

Burn spots mean that the comp is getting hot. Electric heat (such as heating up a comp) is a very expensive way to heat your house.

Running a comp without adequate cooling (like with a bad condensor fan) will cause all kinds of problems including noises and overheating. It is very possible that your refrig might have lived a couple more years if the fan had been changed sooner. But, you can't change the past. Unless you are a politician.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

If the noise if from inside the compressor itself, the compressor would usually have to be replaced to correct the problem. Replacing a compressor requires special tools (vacuum pump, charging manifold, refrigerant) and in many areas a license to purchase the refrigerant and to recover the existing refrigerant. That job can also cost upwards of $350.

If by chance the noise you're hearing is just because of poor starting of the compressor, it might be able to be corrected (or helped to last a while longer) by installing a 'hard start kit'. I would recommend getting a trained technician's opinion as to whether your situation would be helped by that or not.

JMO

Dan O.

- Appliance411.com

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Reply to
Dan O.

I agree completely except for the last part. A hard start kit is nothing more than an a big condenser and costs about $15. If he isn't sure whether the compressor motor is just starting hard or the compressor or motor is really failing, just go buy a hard start kit, install it in 15 minutes and see what happens. If it still groans, he just wasted $15 (instead of a $50 to a technician) and if the groan stops, it cost him only $15.

Reply to
George E. Cawthon

It's a CAPACITOR with a PTC start relay. Us refrig techs use them as a last-resort-on-the-way-to-the-morgue. At best, it may buy you enough time to compare prices of new refrigerators. At worst, you'll waste $15 and solve nothing.

Best bet? Start pricing new refrigerators......

Reply to
RS

Thank you all very much for your helpful responses! I think a new fridge is in my very near future.

Michael

Reply to
mjnash

"Capacitor" and "condenser" mean the same thing in electronics. As I remember, the one I installed was just a condenser; there was no relay. Oh, and that was over 10 years ago. May not do anything for many refrigerators. I believe my refrigerator was just engineered poorly as was weak in the start department as it started having problems after about 2 years. The start relay was eventually replaced with a more modern one, but that also gave out after a while and the "condenser/capacitor" fixed it.

Reply to
George E. Cawthon

Check recent Consumer Reports. Just rated them. We bought the best buy Side by Side GE and it is terrific.

Reply to
Art Begun

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