Noise with New Refrigerator
Just bought a new refrigerator (Frigidaire top-freezer), my first purchase of a big appliance, and happy to have it delivered. However I already called the store (having discovered that Frigidaire doesn’t bother to keep a toll-free customer line) to express concern that the motor/thermostat doesn’t cycle down much. In other words, my past fridges (10-20…
Just bought a new refrigerator (Frigidaire top-freezer), my first purchase of a big appliance, and happy to have it delivered.
However I already called the store (having discovered that Frigidaire doesn’t bother to keep a toll-free customer line) to express concern that the motor/thermostat doesn’t cycle down much. In other words, my past fridges (10-20 years old) were silent most of the time, but then occasionally revved up to keep it cool; this one’s motor seems to be running 80%-90% of the time. They told me that this is the way the newer ones are, but that they use less power in the long run.
But now after a day it also seems somewhat louder than past ones. Not really loud, just loud-ER, noisy enough so that I’m conscious of it.
What should I do? If I have the store come listen, they’d just tell me that it’s normal. And I don’t feel I should have to pay a repairman to come listen.
Any advice would be very welcome.
If there’s a label with the power rating somewhere, you might be able to compute the power it’s using at 80% duty-cycle and compare that to the yellow sticker showing annual usage.
Running most of the time may not indicate fault, as it may have a smaller motor than your old one, but it does seem high. fwiw, my 8-yr old energy-star summit runs about 30% of the time.
Have you tried changing the setting to less cold to see if it settles down?
You might also use a level to check whether the fridge is level both side-to-side & front-to-back. If it’s raked in either direction the doors might not be sealed. (Take a piece of typing paper & put it between the door & the main body – paper should be grabbed & not slide out easily. Do it in several places around the doors.)
Whatever else you do, be sure to go on record w/ the store & the mfr about your complaints & keep a dated diary of the action you’ve taken.
Just wondering how long you’ve had it plugged in. Maybe it’s running excessively because it hasn’t reached temperature yet? Might take days to even out. Doesn’t explain the noise though.
I have 3 Frigidaire window ACs. Two of them required opening up and bending/separating vibrating components to eliminate noise.
As a landlord who has purchased dozens of refrigerators over many years, I have noticed that cheaper brand refrigerators tend to make more noise than more expensive models.
Also, new refrigerators in general don’t seem to be as well made as older models and certainly don’t last as long before breaking.
I’ve had a few tenants complain about compressor noise and repairmen have never been able to eliminate the noise. If the store allows it, I’d consider trying to exchange the unit you purchased for another model.
Unfortunately, appliance stores usually don’t allow returns or exchanges and you have to go through the manufacturer’s warranty repair dance. Unless you complain like a wild man (which sometimes works), they’ll probably say the noise is normal, and you’re out of luck.