Hi,

This noise comes and goes; it only happens when the compresseor (and fan) is running, but is not always there. It seems to build up and fade away slowly. But over time it is becoming worse and worse. I took the rear freezer panel off and the fan looks fine and doesn't have much bearing play. I could not get the noise to happen when the panel was off (probably should have tried longer).

I took a video (link below). You can hear the noise at the rear, up by the freezer, and it is a bit louder than that if you open the freezer, but it is loudest if you open the main refrigerator compartment, where it sounds like it is coming from the air diffuser or freezer drain.

It sounds almost like the slurping sound you get from a straw in a finished milkshake. But I am not 100% certain that it is liquid as opposed to a hollow-ish rattle of some kind.

There is an icemaker (which I installed after-market), but I disconnected it (electrically) and it makes no difference (in the video it is not connected).

Thanks for any advice,

Mark

Fridge noise video: refrigerator noise on Vimeo

Thanks for the fast response!

Your hunch was exactly why I removed the back panel. The fan spins smoothly and is not in contact with anything. There is no ice near the fan on the evaporator, either.

Is it possible that the fan armature feels tight, and that it's quiet for a long time but a rattle in it comes and goes---maybe some windings heat up and short out or something? The fan would be easy to replace, so I do hope that's all it is.

Your freezer fan is mounted horizontal, so the noise may be from excessive axial play due to worn thrust washers in the motor.