Fridge freezer noisy: what our engineers find
These figures come from NAC's own repair records: 246 fridge, freezer and fridge freezer jobs our engineers attended for this fault. Here is what they found, what fixed it and what it typically cost.
When a fridge or freezer starts making an unusual noise, such as a whirring, buzzing, humming, rattling or vibrating sound, the cause is most often a worn or loose fan motor inside the freezer or fridge compartment. This is the fan that moves cold air around the cabinet, and as it wears it can become noisy, stiff to turn or stop altogether, which can also leave the appliance not cooling properly. The next most common cause is the fan catching on ice that has built up around it, which can happen if a door has been left open. Engineers sometimes also find a blocked defrost drain adding to the ice.
An engineer will listen to find where the noise is coming from, then check the fan to see whether it spins freely, feels loose or is being obstructed. If ice is the problem, they defrost the area, clear the ice and check the fan runs quietly again. If the motor itself is worn, it is replaced, and the part often has to be ordered and fitted at a second visit.
After a repair or defrost, the appliance can take a good while to return to its proper temperature, so it is worth giving it plenty of time.
Written by our engineers from these jobs.
- Jobs attended
- 246
- Confirmed repairs
- 130
- This is not a success rate. Jobs inside their 60-day window, jobs still being classified, jobs held for review and visits that didn't end in a repair aren't counted.
- Fixed at the first appointment
- 36%
- about 1 in 3 of our repairs
- Typical total paid by customers
- £104 to £243
- including parts and VAT, from 128 repairs
What's usually behind it
The causes our engineers found and fixed, as a share of our 130 confirmed repairs for this fault.
-
Worn or loose evaporator fan motor: about 1 in 3 of our repairs, from 43 jobs.
33% -
Fan catching on ice: about 1 in 4 of our repairs, from 35 jobs.
27%
We only list causes with enough repairs behind them, so the shares won't add up to 100%.
Error codes we see with this fault
- Kenwood E4: Fan motor fault.
- LG CF: Condenser fan fault.
- LG FF: Freezer (evaporator) fan fault.
By brand
Brands with enough repairs of their own for this fault to show separately.
Samsung fridge freezer noisy
86 jobs, 55 confirmed repairs. Customers typically paid £183 to £242 (from 55 repairs). 20% fixed at the first appointment.
This is not a success rate. Jobs inside their 60-day window, jobs still being classified, jobs held for review and visits that didn't end in a repair aren't counted.
- Worn or loose evaporator fan motor 51%about half of repairs, from 28 jobs
Why the first-appointment figure differs by brand. Our engineers carry common parts on the van, so those repairs can be finished at the first appointment. Other parts have to be ordered in, and fitting them takes a second visit.
About the price. £104 to £243 is the typical total paid by customers, including parts and VAT: the middle half of what customers paid on 128 of these repairs. Repairs paid for by manufacturers and insurers aren't counted, because that work is charged at contract rates. It's a guide, not a quote. Your engineer confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
Before you check anything yourself
- Switch the fridge freezer off and unplug it, or turn it off at the isolator switch, before you touch anything. Our guide to safely isolating an appliance walks you through it.
- If it involves the mains supply, sealed parts, or you're not confident at any point, stop and book a qualified engineer rather than risk injury or further damage.
Rather leave it to us?
- Fixed-price quote before any work starts
- Same or next-day visits where available
- UK-wide engineer coverage