Hi. My kitchen refrigerator (GE Hotpoint) started making an odd
noise this morning. From a distance, it sounds like a hissing
sound; but when you get closer, you can hear that it's actually
a high-frequency clicking or flapping (maybe 20 or 30 clicks/second).
It appears to be coming from the back of the fridge, and it only
occurs when the compressor is going; when the fridge is otherwise
quiet, the sound isn't present. There's been no impact yet on the
fridge's cooling. The fridge does not have an ice-maker.

I'd almost guess that it's simply some piece of paper or whatever
sticking into a fan; but I don't know why this would start this
morning. There hasn't been any activity around the fridge in the
last couple of days that would afford the opportunity of something
falling back there and getting into a fan. Pulling the fridge out
of its cubbyhole is a major endeavor; I'd almost have to call
the appliance repair people for help just to do so.

I'm wondering if people have some plausible diagnoses for what this
might be other than just some piece of paper sticking into a fan,
so that I'm a tiny bit more educated if/when appliance repair people
come and tell me it's going to cost 18 bajillion dollars to fix.
Given that the refrigeration doesn't seem to be compromised (yet),
does it seem likely to be an ignorable thing, or is there a good
chance that someone needs to look at this right away?

Thanks for any info. Sorry, I'm pretty ignorant about refrigerators.

On Mar 15, 2:14*pm, Chris Metzler
wrote:
Hi. *My kitchen refrigerator (GE Hotpoint) started making an odd
noise this morning. *From a distance, it sounds like a hissing
sound; but when you get closer, you can hear that it's actually
a high-frequency clicking or flapping (maybe 20 or 30 clicks/second).
It appears to be coming from the back of the fridge, and it only
occurs when the compressor is going; when the fridge is otherwise
quiet, the sound isn't present. *There's been no impact yet on the
fridge's cooling. *The fridge does not have an ice-maker.

I'd almost guess that it's simply some piece of paper or whatever
sticking into a fan; but I don't know why this would start this
morning. *There hasn't been any activity around the fridge in the
last couple of days that would afford the opportunity of something
falling back there and getting into a fan. *Pulling the fridge out
of its cubbyhole is a major endeavor; I'd almost have to call
the appliance repair people for help just to do so.

I'm wondering if people have some plausible diagnoses for what this
might be other than just some piece of paper sticking into a fan,
so that I'm a tiny bit more educated if/when appliance repair people
come and tell me it's going to cost 18 bajillion dollars to fix.
Given that the refrigeration doesn't seem to be compromised (yet),
does it seem likely to be an ignorable thing, or is there a good
chance that someone needs to look at this right away?

Thanks for any info. *Sorry, I'm pretty ignorant about refrigerators.

The refrig is on rollers so why is it a major endeavor to pull it
forward? If you can, there is a cardboard cover at the rear bottom of
the refrig. Remove 4-5 small screws holding the cover on and you have
visual access to the compressor and fan. The fan pulls air in from
the front bottom of the refrig, moving the air across the coils, and
exits thru the fan to the rear of the refrig. Any dust, hair, pieces
of paper, etc. can be sucked into the fan and get hung up. A very
easy fix if that is what the problem is.

Red

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:33:35 -0700, Red wrote:

The refrig is on rollers so why is it a major endeavor to pull it
forward?

We bought the house about two years ago; the fridge came with.
We didn't notice (or it didn't make an impression on us) at the
time, but 1) this unit isn't on rollers (no idea why this is),
and 2) the kitchen floor is tiled thickly up to but not including
the cubbyhole where the fridge is. So in addition to rocking it
back and forth to get it out, I've gotta get it up and onto this
tile without damaging the tile edges. Some thick newspapers
might be enough for the latter, I dunno.


If you can, there is a cardboard cover at the rear bottom of the
refrig.
Remove 4-5 small screws holding the cover on and you have visual access
to the compressor and fan. The fan pulls air in from the front bottom
of the refrig, moving the air across the coils, and exits thru the fan
to the rear of the refrig. Any dust, hair, pieces of paper, etc. can be
sucked into the fan and get hung up. A very easy fix if that is what
the problem is.

Thanks much! If I can get this guy out, I'll check that first.

Chris Metzler wrote:
On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:33:35 -0700, Red wrote:
The refrig is on rollers so why is it a major endeavor to pull it
forward?

We bought the house about two years ago; the fridge came with.
We didn't notice (or it didn't make an impression on us) at the
time, but 1) this unit isn't on rollers (no idea why this is),
and 2) the kitchen floor is tiled thickly up to but not including
the cubbyhole where the fridge is. So in addition to rocking it
back and forth to get it out, I've gotta get it up and onto this
tile without damaging the tile edges. Some thick newspapers
might be enough for the latter, I dunno.


If you can, there is a cardboard cover at the rear bottom of the
refrig.
Remove 4-5 small screws holding the cover on and you have visual access
to the compressor and fan. The fan pulls air in from the front bottom
of the refrig, moving the air across the coils, and exits thru the fan
to the rear of the refrig. Any dust, hair, pieces of paper, etc. can be
sucked into the fan and get hung up. A very easy fix if that is what
the problem is.

Thanks much! If I can get this guy out, I'll check that first.


If you do take the fridge out... consider building up the floor where
the fridge slides in. I had the same problem under the dish washer. The
previous owner cut some corners when he put the floor in. I had a hell
of a time getting the old dishwasher out. before I slid the new one in I
built the floor up using a couple of pieces of scrap plywood that were
about the same thickness.

Sounds like it could be ice buildup in the freezer just behind the fan.

Next time you hear it open the freezer and have a listen. If so could be
a defrost timer

It had to start sometime. I'm always ammused with people who
say "it worked fine yesterday". As if they can schedule
equipment breakdowns.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Chris Metzler"
wrote in
message
t...

Hi. My kitchen refrigerator (GE Hotpoint) started making an
odd
noise this morning. From a distance, it sounds like a
hissing
sound; but when you get closer, you can hear that it's
actually
a high-frequency clicking or flapping (maybe 20 or 30
clicks/second).
It appears to be coming from the back of the fridge, and it
only
occurs when the compressor is going; when the fridge is
otherwise
quiet, the sound isn't present. There's been no impact yet
on the
fridge's cooling. The fridge does not have an ice-maker.

I'd almost guess that it's simply some piece of paper or
whatever
sticking into a fan; but I don't know why this would start
this
morning. There hasn't been any activity around the fridge
in the
last couple of days that would afford the opportunity of
something
falling back there and getting into a fan. Pulling the
fridge out
of its cubbyhole is a major endeavor; I'd almost have to
call
the appliance repair people for help just to do so.

I'm wondering if people have some plausible diagnoses for
what this
might be other than just some piece of paper sticking into a
fan,
so that I'm a tiny bit more educated if/when appliance
repair people
come and tell me it's going to cost 18 bajillion dollars to
fix.
Given that the refrigeration doesn't seem to be compromised
(yet),
does it seem likely to be an ignorable thing, or is there a
good
chance that someone needs to look at this right away?

Thanks for any info. Sorry, I'm pretty ignorant about
refrigerators.

I'm remembering one refrig I repaired. They had done a heck
of a job of building the fridge into the house. Cabinets
overhead, tile in front, and the island or counter was so
close, there wasn't enough room to get the fridge out even
if you tried. I had them cut some drywall behind the fridge,
which was along the stairs to the cellar. I was then able to
get the start components off the compressor, and put the
start boost kit on. It was a one of a kind repair, for sure.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Chris Metzler"
wrote in
message

We bought the house about two years ago; the fridge came
with.
We didn't notice (or it didn't make an impression on us) at
the
time, but 1) this unit isn't on rollers (no idea why this
is),
and 2) the kitchen floor is tiled thickly up to but not
including
the cubbyhole where the fridge is. So in addition to
rocking it
back and forth to get it out, I've gotta get it up and onto
this
tile without damaging the tile edges. Some thick newspapers
might be enough for the latter, I dunno.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in
:

It had to start sometime. I'm always ammused with people who
say "it worked fine yesterday". As if they can schedule
equipment breakdowns.


perhaps they failed to notice symptoms that occurred prior to the failure.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

In article ,
Chris Metzler wrote:

Hi. My kitchen refrigerator (GE Hotpoint) started making an odd
noise this morning. From a distance, it sounds like a hissing
sound; but when you get closer, you can hear that it's actually
a high-frequency clicking or flapping (maybe 20 or 30 clicks/second).
It appears to be coming from the back of the fridge, and it only
occurs when the compressor is going; when the fridge is otherwise
quiet, the sound isn't present. There's been no impact yet on the
fridge's cooling. The fridge does not have an ice-maker.

I'd almost guess that it's simply some piece of paper or whatever
sticking into a fan; but I don't know why this would start this
morning. There hasn't been any activity around the fridge in the
last couple of days that would afford the opportunity of something
falling back there and getting into a fan. Pulling the fridge out
of its cubbyhole is a major endeavor; I'd almost have to call
the appliance repair people for help just to do so.

I'm wondering if people have some plausible diagnoses for what this
might be other than just some piece of paper sticking into a fan,
so that I'm a tiny bit more educated if/when appliance repair people
come and tell me it's going to cost 18 bajillion dollars to fix.
Given that the refrigeration doesn't seem to be compromised (yet),
does it seem likely to be an ignorable thing, or is there a good
chance that someone needs to look at this right away?

Thanks for any info. Sorry, I'm pretty ignorant about refrigerators.

Along with other good suggestions, its conceivable that something inside
the fridge is rattling with compressor vibration. (I'm sure your auto
mechanic has tales to tell of mysterious rattles that were traced to
something in the console or glove box.)