GE refrigerator humming loudly

[pendragon1998]

Hi guys,
The GE fridge in the house I rent has started intermittently humming very loudly. I think it's during the defrost cycle, since it seems to last about 20 mins (but I didn't time it). It's loudest inside the freezer. Everything seems to still be cold, and when it's not humming loudly,
it sounds normal. Any idea what it might be, based on the sound in my video below? I'd like to point the land lord in the right direction. I thought maybe a transformer in the defrost timer?

Here is a short video I made with the humming outside the fridge, inside the freezer, and inside the fridge compartment.

 

[pattenp]

Sounds like the interior air circulation fan.

Evaporator Fan Motor Part# PS10063450 or # WR60X23584

 

[MoonRise]

It's humming because it doesn't know the lyrics?

 

[dogdog]

Have you tried to actually un-plug and do a full defrost cycle , clean everything, and vacuum the condenser? You know the basic maintenance stuff...

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

My POS rental Kennmore says right in the manual it is the nature of high efficiency refrigerators to sound like they are about to blow up.

 

[PT Doc]

Vacuum condenser coil. Likely in bottom of back of fridge.

 

[pendragon1998]

Have you tried to actually un-plug and do a full defrost cycle , clean everything, and vacuum the condenser? You know the basic maintenance stuff...

It probably does need a vacuum. Our home is a factory-built house, so the fridge is bracketed to a stud. I need to unbolt it and look back there.

 

[pendragon1998]

My POS rental Kennmore says right in the manual it is the nature of high efficiency refrigerators to sound like they are about to blow up.

Of that I have no doubt, but this hum is new and much louder than it has been for the past 5 yrs.

 

[James-W]

I have never heard a noise like that from a refrigerator. It would almost have to be a motor causing it, I can't think of anything else on a refrigerator that could cause it. If I had to make a guess, and I don't feel very comfortable with this guess, but if I had to guess I would say it is caused by bad bearings in the evaporator fan motor. But please don't hold me to that, I could be totally wrong.

 

[dogdog]

It probably does need a vacuum. Our home is a factory-built house, so the fridge is bracketed to a stud. I need to unbolt it and look back there.

You can clean and defrost the freezer... I think in the back of the freezer plastic panel is the condenser coil, fan and defrost thing. Looks very similar to my whirlpool model. basically, there are few screws on the bottom of the freezer, take out that panel then you'll be able to take out the back panel. Fan looks like it's running but hitting something... there is a mount or some sort there as well if you look at those parts repair places.

 

[gungatim]

sounds like the fan to me as well. easy cheap fix. I had a nearly new side by side given to me that made a noise like that, owner was told it was junk. all it needed was a new fan...I think it was $40 and took 5 minutes to replace in the freezer...