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Learning to understand the noises that your Samsung refrigerator makes is a very important thing to do. That’s because some noises are completely harmless, while others can point to a problem with one of the fridge’s parts. For example, what does it mean when your Samsung refrigerator makes a jackhammer noise?
When a Samsung refrigerator makes a jackhammer noise, it could point to a problem with the water case assembly. Alternatively, it could also be a problem with the water line valve, or perhaps that the plastic water pipes behind the fridge are loose. Lastly, the sound you hear could be caused by an evaporator fan blades continually hitting a buildup of ice.
In this article, we’re going to look at all the possible sources of a jackhammer noise coming from your Samsung refrigerator.
With a little know-how and a close-up inspection, you’ll be able to trace the source of the noise and resolve it quickly.
Water Filter Case Assembly
The
Inside, the first thing you’ll see is the Samsung fridge
That filter is then locked into a
Lastly, the filter case assembly also houses a small water tank that stores and delivers the cold water to the water dispenser.
All of these different components are rarely sold separately. So, if any of them are faulty or develop leaks, the odds are high that you’ll have to replace the
How it fails:
If your Samsung refrigerator makes a jackhammer noise, there’s a possibility that the cause lies somewhere in the
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As mentioned earlier, that assembly houses many different components related to the fridge’s water supply, such as the water valve and
The jackhammer noise may come from water not being able to flow smoothly through the
Besides that, it’s also possible that the noise comes from a mechanical failure with the water valve inside of the same assembly.
How to fix:
As mentioned earlier, there are several components inside the
So, if the jackhammer noise is indeed coming from the
If you decide to do this as a DIY job instead of calling a qualified technician, always remember to disconnect the water and power supply before you begin your repairs. Also, drain the water lines by pressing on the water dispenser.
It’s best to refer to the user manual and any technical sheet for your Samsung refrigerator.
Those documents will provide you with instructions that are unique to the model that you have.
Generally, removing the assembly involves removing screws that hold it in place and any electrical connectors.
Once you’ve freed the assembly, sliding it out and replacing it with the new one will be relatively easy and straightforward.
Screw the new assembly in place, replace the electrical connectors, and reconnect the water and power supply to see if it’ll work properly.
Water Line Shut-Off Valve
Samsung refrigerator models with ice makers and water dispensers will have a water line going directly into the fridge. That line also has a shut-off valve that allows for controlling water intake.
When the water line valve is fully open, water can flow into the fridge to supply the ice maker and water dispenser as needed.
How it fails:
Waterline valves can cause a jackhammer noise when they’re not fully open. That’s because the water struggles to pass through smoothly, resulting in that noise.
To be sure, you’ll want to pay close attention whenever you hear that jackhammer noise. As it happens, follow the noise to its source. If you notice that it’s coming directly from the water line valve, then the fix is quite simple.
How to fix:
Suppose you’ve narrowed down the source of the jackhammer noise to the water line valve. If that’s the case, then what you need to do is ensure that the valve is opened fully so that the water can flow through unobstructed.
Once that’s done, the jackhammer noise should no longer be a problem.
To identify and locate the water line valve for your particular fridge model, always refer to the user manual or technical sheet that came with the Samsung fridge. Those documents will help you find the water line valve.
Plastic Water Pipes (Behind The Fridge)
As mentioned earlier, Samsung fridges with ice makers and water dispensers will have a direct water supply connected to them.
Take a closer look behind the fridge, and you’ll see that there is piping connected directly to your household plumbing which provides the appliance with a continuous supply of water.
Typically, those pipes are secured to the wall and the fridge to ensure no movement in those pipes.
If they weren’t secured, the pipes could vibrate, shake, or otherwise move every time there was a change in the water pressure flowing through them.
Eventually, that could lead to problems with the connection between those pipes and the fridge, such as them coming loose or experiencing leaks.
How it fails:
If you’ve traced the jackhammer noise to the plastic water pipes behind the fridge, then those pipes may have gotten loose.
When those plastic pipes get loose, any start/stop flow of water through those pipes could send them hitting the wall and the back of the fridge, which causes that jackhammer noise that you hear.
How to fix:
There are several steps you can take to fix this problem, depending on how severe it is.
Your first step would be to secure the plastic pipes as best as possible so that they’ll never move even when the water pressure changes.
Besides that, you can also add an “air jack” to the pipe, which will relieve the dramatic stop/go pressure that causes the jackhammer noise.
Suppose you’ve secured the pipes and added the air jack, yet the jackhammer noise continues.
Then, the cause may be the fridge’s electronic water valve that might not be shutting off properly.
Evaporator Fan
As you might know, your fridge has several fans that ensure it works correctly. One of them is the evaporator fan, which helps to distribute cold air throughout the internal compartments.
The evaporator is the part of the fridge’s cooling system that gets very cold. The evaporator fan pushes the air through the evaporator to ensure that all of that cold air reaches every corner of the fridge’s compartments.
How it fails:
Over time, ice and frost can build up within the fridge’s compartments. That can also happen around the compartment where the evaporator fan is located.
Suppose you’re hearing a jackhammer noise coming from within the fridge, and you trace it back to the evaporator fan.
Take a closer look, and you may notice that what’s happening is that the fan continues to spin, though its blades are continuously hitting a buildup of ice.
Remember: the fan has several blades. So as the fan spins, the blades will hit the ice buildup several times a second.
From afar, you might recognize and describe that as jackhammer noise.
How to fix:
Here, the fix is straightforward. You’ll need to thaw or defrost the fridge so that all of that ice and frost buildup melts away.
However, you have to be cautious with the method that you choose to do this.
Putting your Samsung fridge in defrost mode or shutting it off entirely will get the job done.
Depending on how bad the ice and frost buildup is inside the fridge, this could take several hours or perhaps even a whole day.
You may feel tempted to use a heat gun or a blow dryer to do it quicker. That’s a bad idea!
The problem with these solutions is that they deliver a continuous and highly-concentrated blast of heat towards the fridge’s parts.
Remember: the inner panels of the fridge are made from plastic!
What might happen as a result is that you could end up warming, melting, or otherwise damaging the fridge’s panels.
That might also happen to the plastic evaporator fan parts, which you’re trying to fix in the first place!
In this case, slower is safer. Check the user manual or technical sheet to see if your Samsung refrigerator model has a defrost mode that can help with this.
Or, you could just turn it off with the door open and let it melt naturally.
Of course, you’ll need to transfer the contents of your fridge somewhere else first.
