How to make refrigerators quiet

iskandam

My HT is in the living room, which shares an open space with the kitchen. The fridge is an old GE model located 15 ft away from the couch. Problem: it's loud.

I tried to measure exactly how loud it is from the sweet spot, but the RS SPL meter only goes down to 60 dB. So definitely less than 60 dB but loud enough to be a problem when listening to music/movies. I've been racking my brain on ways to reduce the noise this thing's been making. And no, I will not consider buying a new one. It has been running perfectly for 16 years and I will keep it until it dies. That money would be better spent getting a bigger HDTV

An idea that I've been toying around with is to install a couple of layers of roofing felt on the recessed area that the fridge is in. It has good dampening properties and it's cheap.

Another idea is to isolate it from the floor with something like Herbie's Little Fat Glider.

Any thoughts on which method is better, or if there are more effective ways of doing this?

NJPOLKER

Just unplug it :cool:

jimsvm

post some pics of the back of that energy sucker.might help

dane_peterson

Is your refrigerator running?












Better go catch it!

Systems

How's about a vocal booth.:) http://www.vocalbooth.com/products/vocal_booth.html

NJPOLKER

A lot of great ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

iskandam

I should add that I typically listen in the 65-70 dB range for both music and movies. When a lot of stuff is happening in action movies (85-95 dB peaks) of course the fridge is a non-issue, but during regular dialog scenes the hum is really annoying.

The DIY acoustic treatment thread has motivated me to start my own DIY project. I'm currently doing research on it and hope to get started next month. Before that happens I'd like to fix this loud fridge problem first.

That vocal booth idea is pure genius, although unfortunately there's not enough room in the recess to accommodate it I will post pictures of the recess area and back of the fridge later today

madmax

Just unplug it +2

lukewayne

Try to figure out what component of the fridge is so loud. Maybe it's two parts hitting each other or a loose screw.

Maybe you can just replace the offending part? Or dampen it. Becareful not to trap excess heat around the heat exchange coils or you'll end up with a very inefficient fridge.

My guess is the sound is coming from the compressor. Which unfortunately is probably the most expensive part.

Good luck

iskandam

By far, unplugging it has been the most effective solution, but the food needs to stay cold so that can't happen for too long

This is what the fridge + recess area looks like:

The noise is coming from the bottom, which is where the fan and compressor are located:

1. Compressor
2. Stock dampening material

Is there a special dampening material for refrigerators or am I good just replacing it with something like dynamat? I'm thinking of doing this for both the compressor and the fan. If that's still not enough, I may cover the wall behind the fridge in the recess area with a couple of layers of #30 roofing felt.

disneyjoe7

Clean it.

jimmydep

Time for a refridgerator upgrade if you ask me.

kcoc321

Here are some isolators designed just for appliances, made of Sorbothane.
http://www.vibrationsolution.com/onlinestore.html

+100 on unplugging it....hehe but I get that is only short term.

How about some Black Hole Isolation sheets only the back wall?
Also add some better isolators on the compressor.

ben62670

See if you can find a timer that will turn it back on in an hour. The temp drops very slowly in a full fridge;)

beardog03

sounds like the compressor is making the noise..

make sure everything including all lines are strapped down and tight

freon may be low, that would make the pump work harder

Instead of putting a bunch of coin into fixing it, spend 25-50 bucks a month and get a new silent one

nooshinjohn

would it make a difference if he put spikes on it and perhaps used Mortite to seal it? It might just help with the bottom end and bring a bit better definition to the ice maker.

ben62670

nooshinjohn wrote: »

would it make a differnce if he put spikes on it and perhaps used Mortite to seal it? It might just help with the bottom end and bring a bit better definition to the ice maker.

Well you finally made me laugh with you:D

zarrdoss

Its 16 years old, its getting louder because it is going out, maybe tomorrow or 10 years down the road but it will keep on getting worse unless something is done. 16 years is allot to ask on an electrical motor and compressor unit, I would replace it so you don't come home to a frig of food gone bad because it died IMO. Newer ones will save you money on electricity in the long run anyway.

But you might try looking and listening to it when its running and see if something is rattling and try and isolate it with some silicone or bungee cord, be careful not to shock yourself and good luck, I hate noisy refrigerators

comfortablycurt

Move the fridge outside.

Better yet, sell the fridge and put it towards that new HDTV you mentioned.;)

NotaSuv

madmax wrote: »

Just unplug it +2

LOL had this very same annoying problem, and it was in a rental so had to keep it...I used one of those "clappers" to turn it off during extanded TV watching, worked great,,clap it on, clap it off , ours was just an older noisy unit...

BIZILL

my fridge is quite quiet. that is, until the automatic ice maker breaks the ice. man, when i first got it on a quiet night when not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse the thing made this tremendously loud CRACK sound that scared the pee outta me. i did the whole flinch thing where you turn around to check the noise with your heart racing and a natural fist flying in the air. LOL.

HHStuart

Refrigerator noise bothers me too but in this case I would replace the refrigerator.
New refrigerators are so much more efficient than 16 year old ones, that it would pay for itself in a couple of years. The new one would be a lot quieter. Just my 2 cents.

Libertyc

A new energy star refrigerator would be much quieter and you will save you money.

iskandam

Well, i'm not ready to give up on it yet so I'm going to give that Silent Feet thing a shot

LessisNevermore

Apples to oranges comparison here, but it might be food for thought:

I installed 2 large computer-type cooling fans on the back of my entertainment center. They ended up being quite loud, and the cabinet itself acts as a resonator, and amplifies this a bit. When I built my diy acoustic panels, I put a 2'x4' panel mounted horizontal behind the tv. I was surprised how well it absorbs the fan noise! I will be looking for some quieter fans, but for now, it's completely tolerable.

If you have enough clearance behind your fridge, I'd order a panel,(or make one) and give it a shot.

iskandam

It's pretty tight back there so a 2" thick panel is not a realistic solution for me. But if the Silent Feet is not good enough by itself I may stick several layers of Fat Mat/roofing felt/B-Quiet/eDead/etc. on the wall directly behind the compressor and fan to absorb the noise.

That having been said, I'm also planning on putting a DIY acoustic panel behind the TV/rack/center channel to cover the first reflection from the center channel!

treitz3

Could you please describe the sounds that are coming from the lower area? Also, how long / how often do these sounds happen and are they the same as any noise that may be constant?

You can start by taking the hottest water you can stand, a good cleaner [I use vinegar for this], an absorbent towel and clean both sides of the seal for both doors. Make sure to dry them thoroughly. When the doors are shut again, check to make sure that they are completely sealed. An hour or so later, unplug the fridge.

Next, you will need to vacuum out all of the dust around the bottom of the fridge. Wipe up anything you can get too after you vacuum. If you have one, take a coil cleaning brush and clean the coils as best you can. While you are down there, check for anything that vibrates or is the source of noise. Tighten down anything that appears to be loose.

Reassemble the fridge and plug it back in. It should at the very least run more efficiently after this, lowering the noise level and lowering the cycles of cooling.

iskandam

The fridge runs on a cycle. It goes on for several minutes then off, then on again. Of course it's dead quiet when it's off, but when it's on the fan and, or, compressor, creates this loud, constant humming sound. No rattling. Doesn't sound like anything is loose at all.

I did vacuum most of the crap that's been collecting in there for the past decade or so when I took those pictures. Actually my PC tower also makes that same humming sound.

I just picked up a roll of PEEL & SEAL from Lowe's. Tomorrow I'm going to line the inside of the PC case with this stuff first to see if it'll get the job done.

ben62670

I have used peel and seal for deadening with decent success.

jimsvm

You can add more sound damping matteral to where it is now. Do not block off condenser fan air inlet.(bottem right from the back).For all reading this thread, dust bunnies on condensers=money out the window,and premature death to compressors.Long live the dust bunny the refrig guy says$$$$.

iskandam

I just finished lining the inside of my PC case with PEEL & SEAL and... it made absolutely no improvement at all I mean I used up 2/3 of the roll and even double, triple, and quadruple layered on the sides. It sure added mass but did nothing to decrease the humming even a bit.

I'm not going to bother wasting more money on this crap material. Silent Feet ordered.