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Korean manufacturer Samsung makes some of the best home appliances you’ll find today. Among them are their world-class fridges, which are becoming increasingly popular. Like any other brand, Samsung fridges tend to make vibrating noises. But at what point do those noises start to signify that there’s a problem with the fridge?
The vibration noise or sound coming from a Samsung fridge can be caused by:
1. Normally running compressor
2. Condenser fan banging on something as it turns
3. Ice Maker or Ice Bucket Auger
In the following sections, we’ll dive deeper into all the possible causes behind your Samsung fridge making a vibrating noise.Let’s get started.
Compressor Is Running
One of the most common reasons your Samsung fridge might be making a vibrating noise is simply because its compressor is running.
You can consider the compressor to be the heart of the fridge’s cooling system.
As the name suggests, it compresses the fridge’s coolant and helps to circulate it throughout the fridge.
That process helps to lower the temperature inside the Samsung fridge and keep everything nice and cool.
Here’s the thing about the compressor: it’s not permanently on. You see, a fridge will only cool itself to stay within the temperature range that you have set for it.
When the fridge is cold enough, you won’t hear the compressor making any noises.
However, when it gets a little too warm, that’s when you’ll hear the compressor kick on.
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If your home is quiet, you might hear that happening and feel that it’s unusual or that something is wrong with the fridge.
Rest assured that it’s not, as the compressor is simply turning on to do its job.
Why it Makes Vibrating Noise:
Again, it’s absolutely normal to hear your fridge compressor vibrating when it’s on.
A low humming noise and gentle but constant vibration is a sign that the compressor is working normally.
However, the only time you should be concerned is if that vibrating noise gets too loud or if it never vibrates at all.
Those could be signs that there might be something wrong with the compressor and that you need to take a closer look at it.
How to fix:
Again, a gentle humming or vibrating coming from your Samsung fridge compressor is nothing to worry about.
That just means that it’s working normally, and there’s nothing you need to fix.
However, if there is no vibrating noise at all, that could be a sign that the compressor isn’t turning on even when it should.
Alternatively, you might hear the compressor vibrate far louder than it should, and that, too, could be a sign of a problem.
The thing about your Samsung fridge compressor is that it’s not the kind of part that you can troubleshoot yourself.
That’s because it involves a closed-loop system that’s filled with refrigerant. Instead, you’ll need to call a qualified fridge technician to identify the problem and solve it for you.
Condenser Fan Banging On Something
Another critical component of a fridge’s cooling system is the condenser fan (not to be confused with the evaporator fan).
As the refrigerant circulates throughout the fridge, it’ll absorb any heat and move towards the condenser coils.
Once there, the condenser fan will help cool down that refrigerant by blowing air across the condenser coils.
In doing so, the fan will push all of the heat from those coils out the back of the fridge and into the surrounding atmosphere.
As a result of all that, the refrigerant can cool down and continue circulating to continue making the fridge compartments cold.
Why it Makes Vibrating Noise:
A condenser fan will spin non-stop whenever the fridge is on. Typically, that fan will make no noise at all when it’s in good working condition.
However, if those fan blades are damaged, or if there is a foreign object in the path of its blades, that could be a problem.
As the fan blades spin, they’ll bang on that foreign object repeatedly.
As that banging noise happens continuously and at a fast rate, you might eventually recognize it as a loud vibrating noise coming from the back of your fridge.
How to fix:
To fix this problem and get rid of the vibrating noise it creates, you’ll need to inspect the condenser fan up close.
Doing this will require shutting off and disconnecting the power supply to the fridge to prevent injuries, especially to your fingers.
A flashlight would be incredibly handy, as it can get dark on the rear of the fridge.
– When you find the condenser fan, the first thing you’ll want to look for is any foreign object that might be stuck in the fan blades’ path.
If there is something there, you should remove it very carefully.
Suppose there isn’t any foreign object in the condenser fan. If that’s the case, then you’ll need to inspect the individual fan blades.
It’s possible that one or more of those blades has gotten damaged, and a bent part of it may be hitting against another surface every time the fan turns.
If you find that the fan blade is damaged, you might need to have it replaced entirely.
On some models, you might find that the condenser fan is not accessible. If that’s the case with the Samsung fridge you have, you’ll need to call on a qualified technician to do it for you.
Ice Maker Auger When Running
Some Samsung fridges have ice makers built into them. They work in a straightforward way: when you press against the icemaker’s lever or arm, a component inside called the auger would turn continuously to push the ice towards the dispenser and into your cup.
The auger will only turn when you activate the ice maker, and while the ice maker is running, you’ll hear a vibrating noise coming from the part where the auger is located.
Why it Makes Vibrating Noise:
Just as with the compressor discussed earlier, it’s absolutely normal to hear the ice maker auger generate a vibrating noise while you’re using it.
As long as that vibrating noise isn’t too loud, that means the auger works as intended.
However, it’s possible that you hear the auger vibrate uncomfortably loud, to the point that you might even hear a rattling noise as well.
If that happens every 15 minutes or so, even when the ice maker auger is not running, then that’s a sign that the ice maker might be faulty.
How to fix:
The ice maker auger assembly is a sophisticated component, but thankfully, it’s very easy to access.
Warning!
As you always should. Before troubleshooting the auger assembly, you’ll want to ensure that you’ve shut off the power and water supply to the fridge.
- Typically, you’ll find it located inside the fridge compartment itself when you open the door.
- Refer to the user manual and any technical sheets that might provide you with more information specific to your Samsung fridge model.
- The auger assembly is part of the ice maker section of the fridge, which means you might have to thaw out any excess frost before you can open it up.
- Once that’s done, you can begin to remove the access panel to the ice maker and any screws holding the auger motor assembly in place.
- Disconnect any electrical connectors you see very gently and remove the assembly.
- Removing the auger motor assembly will allow you to troubleshoot it for any significant problems.
- Or, you could also replace it entirely if yours is severely damaged.
Again, if you’re unsure of how to do any of this yourself, there’s no shame in calling a qualified technician to do it for you.
Samsung also provides its own diagnostics if your ice maker is not working
