If your refrigerator is making a noise or a constant repetitive clicking noise, here are 2 reasons why that can occur. There are 2 different types of fan motors in your refrigerator. One is located in the freezer and this one is called the evaporator fan motor.
The other is located behind your fridge and it is called the condenser fan motor. To repair and stop this buzzing or humming noise, first make sure the fan blade is not hitting anything. If the fan, motor and surrounding areas look fine, you will more than likely need to remove and replace the fan blade or fan motor.
To repair a buzzing or noisy refrigerator you will need some basic tools and of course the fan motor you are going to swap out. First determine where the noise is coming from. If it is inside the freezer then you need to buy a new refrigerator evaporator fan motor. If the noise is coming from the bottom and back of the fridge you will need a refrigerator condenser fan motor.
Here is what a noisy refrigerator evaporator fan motor will sound like.
Here is what a noisy refrigerator condenser fan motor will sound like.
Here is a video to show how to replace a noisy refrigerator evaporator fan motor.
Here is a video to show how to replace a noisy refrigerator condenser fan motor.
 Do you know of another method to repair a buzzing or noisy refrigerator? Please leave a comment below.
Written by Keith Schneerer
Certified Appliance Tech · Founder, RemoveAndReplace.com
Keith has spent 30+ years repairing machines, starting as a military mechanic and later maintaining food processing equipment before moving into appliance repair. He founded RemoveAndReplace.com to share field-tested repair advice.
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Eli,
Buy a new fan assembly. This will include the fan blade and the motor. Install it and adjust it in a position so that it is not hitting anything therefore stopping the noise. The fan motor could be causing the noise that is why we say replace the whole assembly. They are cheap and can be ordered online with same day shipping if ordered early in the morning.
-RR
I have a G.E. fridge and my issue seems to be that the condenser fan blades rub on the housing and chirp very loudly.. i’d adjusted the blade multiple times with no luck. Any idea how to make it stop? I at one point trimmed the blades so it would stop but the plastic proved hard to cut nicely and i ended up with an uneven fan that gave the fridge a bit of a shake and hum. I replaced the fan blade with a brand new one but still have the horrible sound… could a faulty motor be at fault for this blade rubbing like this. it seems to have started randomly one day for no reason.
Thank you so much for your response! I’ll give it a try.
Kathy,
If the evap fan is not turning when it should, it can get ice build up and make loud noises if it runs intermittently. If your fridge/freezer has no other issues, then yes the fan may not be running when it should. Replace it and monitor the outcome. If the problem persists, please let us know and we can provide further help.
-RR
The evaporator fan is icing up on my 10 year old GE side by side refrigerator and making a very loud noise. Everything else is working fine and there isn’t ice build up anywhere else. When I melt the ice on the evaporator fan (by using a hair dryer) the loud sound goes away, but in a few weeks it is iced up again and making the loud noise. What could be causing the ice build up? Should I replace the evaporator fan motor?
Andrew,
Which refrigerator do you have? Model Number? Which fan do you need a part number for? Cond or Evap?
-RR
I have that EXACT same model fridge (so thankfully, this was very informative) however I cannot find anyone who stocks that exact model. I am in Australia so that might be a bit of an issue but would you happen to know the part number for this fan motor?