New GE fridge gts21scxass makes horrible high pitched whining noise

Refrigerator & Freezer Repair
1

My new fridge makes this intermittent high pitched noise that is almost unbearable. When it starts making it I have to put in ear plugs in order to work or sleep.

It happens when the cooling cycle turns on (sorry I don’t know the technical name). Like when I open the door, or just randomly sometimes, the fridge will start up. Eventually, within 15-20 minutes, it starts making a high pitched noise that gets louder and louder over time. I work from home and it’s so loud I need to wear ear plugs in order to not go insane. As soon as the cycle ends (or if I open the door and turn the temp control to “off”) the noise stops.

It is horribly grating. When the cable guy was installing cable, he goes “what’s that noise?” It pierces through everything, and even with the TV on and the windows open and the train going by, I can still hear it.

A repair guy came out and couldn’t really hear it. He finally heard it a little and goes “that’s normal.” Um… no dude, that’s not “normal.” I’ve had refrigerators ever since I was born and I’ve never heard one make a noise like this before.

It sounds like a dog whistle, or like when your ears ring, except it gets louder, and louder, and louder, until finally the cooling cycle shuts off (anywhere from 20 to 45+ minutes).

Any ideas what this is?

I didn’t find too much from Googling, altho I did see a few instances of GE fridges making high pitched noises that the repairmen “couldn’t hear.”

I’m going to be highly annoyed if I have to get another model of fridge.

The fridge is new. I’ve tried tilting it, putting a heavy weight on top, moving it, etc. None of that worked.

Much thanks to anyone who can help

2

Check your model #

3

What’s wrong with the model number I gave?

4

I think it’s a 20 or 22 cuft, not 21

5

it’s 21, I just doublechecked.

6

Found your model on another site. Your fridg has a motherboard that can put annoying frequencies to the evaporator motor. You can call this site and perhaps they can get a new one for you, rather easy to replace, comes with instructions.

7

What other site did you find my fridge on? Where did you get the info about the motherboard? The fridge is still under warranty so I don’t think I need to call anyone other than GE.

I would love to have some info to show the repair guy since the last guy said it was “normal”.

8

The site was (repair ************), an on line site. Get a different repair person that has better hearing and more sypathetic to customers. You would need a scope to see the problem and verify it’s the motherboard. However, most servicers that service these are familiar with this problem and have fixed it before with a new motherboard. Just ask before you authorize service, if no knowledge, call someone else!

9

Looks like this forum filters competitors.

Yeah, I’m about to call GE again and have them send another repair guy.

10

So are you saying it’s the fan or the motherboard itself that is making the noise?

11

It’s the motherboard sending scrambled/distorted square waves to the evaporator motor.

12

So the issue is the motherboard rather than the evaporator motor?

13

That is correct, the motor is just responding to the junk sent to it.

14

so when the repair guy comes here on Monday and says “It’s not a problem/i can’t hear it/blah blah excuse” I should say “replace the motherboard”?

15

He has not proven a thing to me or you. Best proof would be a scope on the signal to the motor. Should be a square wave that can be sychronised and viewable. I have viewed many pro. responses to this problem and they all say it’s a bad motherboard. Your service guy should be loyal to his customers and not as loyal to the warranty co. It is easy to be loyal to other “parties”, and I have, in the past, fallen into this trap of protectionism, but he should realize the customer loyalty he is destroying.

16

So I should have him scope it? The first guy who was here just listened for a second and was like “yeah, that’s normal.” I was like you’re the worst repairman ever, I can’t even concentrate on anything when this noise is going on.

Do they bring scopes with them to housecall appointments?

17

No, never saw a scope used for refrigerators, just heat pumps. If you are a “good” servicer, you will check things with a scope to verify no problems, rather costly if a problem is overlooked, unfortunately the customer usually pays for misstakes.

18

So is there anything in particular I should ask him or tell him tomorrow?

19

I would do a Google search and pile up the fixes that worked with a new motherboard. We here have piled up a lot of specific, verifiable data showing why a mother board is bad, like bad voltages to the fan motor. Go to the sticky above GE (GSS& PSS models) to get the voltages that should be there at the evaporator motor and compare them to what you have. Best evidence would be a scope.

20

The guy just left. He said this fridge is a low end model that doesn’t have a motherboard. He said the sound is coming from the compressor and not a fan.

He put some insulation on some pipes but it didn’t really do anything.

I said “so is there anything else you can recommend besides getting a new fridge?”

He said “you might want to upgrade, this is a low end model. We call them 'builder’s specials” (or something like that).

I made this face:

“Upgrade?” More like upgrade to another brand.

He said even if they replaced the compressor it would probably make the same noise or even be louder.

If it matters, the repair guy was older, probably 50s, and I know old people have reduced hearing in the upper ranges sometimes, but he did say he could hear it.

I know I’m not crazy. There is no way that this is “normal.”

Oh, he said I could try putting a piece of carpet under the fridge, but I don’t know how much that would muffle it because the sound is in the back firing rearwards, NOT on the bottom firing downward.

I don’t know if this helps diagnose anything, but sometimes the high pitched buzz is constant (like “eeeeeeeeeee”) and sometimes it “pulses”, like when you’re on an airplane sitting between the two engines and they’re out of sync, like waa-waa-waa-waa. It’s the same frequency and pitch, but sometimes it pulses like that.

ready to jump off my balcony

Fridge Noob