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An LG refrigerator and its parts can make a lot of different noises. Some are part of its regular operation, while others are signs of a problem. That’s certainly the case with LG refrigerator fan noises which typically don’t happen unless something is wrong with the affected fan.
LG refrigerator fan noises typically happen due to ice buildups, damaged fan blades, stuck foreign objects, and excess dust, particularly in the condenser fan and motor. Fixing them will require you to remove the root cause, whether that’s ice, a damaged fan blade, a foreign object, or dust.
Fan noises are annoying, but they’re also not that difficult to resolve. This guide will help you understand how to fix LG refrigerator fan noises.
How Do I Stop My LG Refrigerator Fan From Making Noise?
Your LG refrigerator has two types of fans where noises can come from. Firstly, there are evaporator fans inside the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Secondly, there’s the condenser fan next to the compressor, outside the appliance at its rear.
Here’s how you can fix those fans when they become noisy:
Evaporator Fan Ice Buildup
About this: Your LG appliance has a refrigerator and freezer compartment. Despite maintaining different temperatures, both compartments are constantly cold to safely store food items.
Those cold temperatures will quickly cause condensation whenever warm air and moisture enter the compartments. That happens when you leave the door open for too long or if the door seal becomes worn out.
When that happens, the moisture turns to water droplets that you’ll find all around the fridge or freezer compartment.
How it causes noise: Condensation isn’t a big deal until it leads to frost and ice building up inside your fridge or freezer compartment. The ice tends to build around the evaporator fan behind the rear panel when that happens.
Over an extended period, that ice will grow until it’s big enough to restrict the fan blade’s movement. As a result, the fan blade will continuously hit the ice as it turns, causing a loud vibrating or grinding noise you can hear from outside the appliance.
How to fix it: When the fan noises you hear are caused by an ice buildup around the evaporator fan, you’ll need to melt that ice away as soon as possible.
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You can do it slowly and thoroughly by shutting your fridge off and leaving the compartment door open. That will allow the ice buildup to warm up and melt away naturally. This is the most effective way to do it, but it takes a lot of time.
Another method you can use is to empty the compartment and put a pot of hot water in it. Then, when you shut the door, the pot’s steam will help melt the ice away.
This method can work quicker, but it’s less effective. Also, to keep the process going, you’ll have to replace the pot with hot water whenever it cools off.
Read: How To Fix LG Refrigerator Ice Maker Freezing Up
Damage Fan Blades
About this: The fans in your refrigerator have two parts: the fan blades and the fan motor. These fans are concealed behind the fridge panels in very small, tight spaces.
When the fan motor is powered, it spins the fan blades at high speed to drive air throughout your refrigerator or freezer compartment.
The fan blades can spin fast without problems despite being in tight spaces. That’s as long as nothing obstructs their movement, like an ice buildup or foreign objects.
How it causes noise: Damaged fan blades are another likely cause of the fan noises coming from your
However, when those blades continuously hit solid ice or other foreign objects that have fallen into the same space, that will quickly damage the blades.
Upon closer inspection, you might find the blades bent or broken, rubbing against other fridge parts. That can cause grinding or other high-pitched noises.
How to fix it: Unfortunately, there’s no way to repair damaged fan blades. So when they suffer damage and cause loud fan noises, you’ll have to replace them as soon as possible.
Remember: you must not delay the replacement of damaged fan blades. The longer you leave them that way, the more damage they’ll cause to themselves or the fridge parts around them.
Read: LG Refrigerator Error Code E Ch – Troubleshooting Guide
Foreign Object In Evaporator Or Condenser Fan
About this: The evaporator and condenser fans on your LG refrigerator are concealed behind panels. For instance, you’ll find the evaporator fan behind the rear panel of your fridge or freezer compartments.
Similarly, the condenser fan sits next to the compressor behind a metal access panel at the back of the appliance.
Still, those panels don’t provide an airtight seal. Instead, they have openings to allow for smooth airflow in or out of the compartments housing the evaporator and condenser fans.
How it causes noise: The small openings for evaporator and condenser fans, also called air vents, unfortunately, allow foreign objects to find their way into the fans.
Those objects can get in the way of spinning fans, causing the loud noises you hear.
How to fix it: To fix noises caused by foreign objects, you’ll have to remove those items as soon as possible. Doing so will get rid of the root cause of the problem.
However, those objects could have caused significant damage once you remove them. So, inspect the fan motors and blades for damage and replace them if they also make too much noise.
Read: LG Refrigerator Error Code E FF – Troubleshooting Guide
Condenser Fan Blade Or Fan Motor
About this: The condenser and evaporator fans experience many similar problems. However, the condenser fan also experiences unique ones, thanks to its location outside the refrigerator at the rear.
For example, the condenser fan blade and motor are not exposed to cold temperatures and potential ice buildups like the evaporator fans inside the fridge compartment. However, the condenser fan does experience much higher exposure to dust.
How it causes noise: Besides damaged fan blades and trapped foreign objects, condenser fans can make noise due to dust. Any excess dust will cause friction as the fan blades try to turn, leading the motor to work harder than it usually would.
That friction and the overworked motor can both cause loud fan noises.
How to fix it: First, use a vacuum to suck away loose dirt and debris built up around the condenser fan blade and its motor. Then, use a brush to scrub away stubborn dirt that won’t come out on its own.
Read: LG Refrigerator Error Code FF: Troubleshooting Guide
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Check out these questions and answers to help you troubleshoot your
What Does A Refrigerator Fan Do?
Refrigerator fans are necessary for the appliance to lower its temperatures. It does so by circulating cool air inside the compartments (i.e. the evaporator fan) and by blowing away hot air removed by the cooling system (i.e. the condenser fan).
How Many Evaporator Fans Does An LG Refrigerator Have?
The precise number of evaporator fans in an
Read: Why LG Refrigerator Is Not Cooling? Troubleshooting Guide + Service Manual
How Can You Tell The Difference Between An Evaporator And A Condenser?
Your LG refrigerator’s cooling system has two sides: the cold and hot sides. The evaporator fan is located on the cold side, helping to distribute cold air evenly throughout the fridge or freezer compartment. The hot side is where the condenser is, and its fan helps to remove the heat from the system.
Where Is The Condenser Fan Located?
You’ll find the condenser fan next to the fridge compressor. Both are at the appliance’s rear, hidden behind an access panel.
What Happens When The Condenser Fan Motor Fails?
The condenser fan helps to get rid of heat picked up by the fridge’s cooling system. So, if its motor fails, that heat will continue circulating throughout the fridge, making it warmer than it should be.
