[fokelley]

The other day I thought the wind was howling outside my house. It wasn't, but my refrigerator was. It sounds exactly as though the wind is blowing hard and making a howling noise. I can hear it in the next room. The noise starts and continues for 20-30 seconds, stops for 4 or 5, then starts again. It seems to stop when the compressor is not running. It does not do this all the time but has been doing it most of the time lately.
In fact, I had a repairman today, and about two hours before he was due to arrive, the noise stopped and did not start again for several hours. When it did start, it was too late for the repairman to come back.
The refrigerator seems to work just fine, but the noise interrupts conversations and is nerve wracking when you are in the kitchen.
I have moved it in and out from the wall, have emptied the ice maker, have removed everything from the inside and put it back in....nothing seems to help.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[woodchuck]

This is one view on the subject and others point to the control board.

The condenser under your refrigerator was a newer design from GE, it is round shaped with a hollow center, the idea was to be able to cool that area more efficiently. But when the refrigerators are in cut out areas of the kitchen, they tend to pick up a howling noise whenever the fan at the compressor is running. Call GE and have patience, go to a supervisor, but be nice and explain your problem expressing your disappointment and they should send a GE tech out to change the condensor fan motor, the replacement will be quieter, but there is no real solution to eliminate the noise that I am aware of to date.

[fokelley]

Thank you.
So, GE makes the condenser for Hotpoint? I'm very uninformed on this situation. Does it make sense that this would not start happening for almost three years after putting the refrigerator in place? It is in a cut out in the cabinet.
I'll follow up as you suggest.

[denman]

Is the fan blade nice and clean

It does not take much dirt build up to change a fans airflow dynamics

If not clean I would remove it give the blade and motor a good cleaning
A drop of oil on the bearings wouldn't hurt

Just a thought on why it took 3 years to get noisy

[kayakcrzy]

Fokelly, I have herd what you are talking about, and What I believe it is, is the howling is like wind blowing. If you pull the refrigerator out, and look where the plactic water line goes into the back of the refrigerator, up behind the icemaker. At that point of entry, go to your local hardware store, and buy some plumbers putty, and cover the hole and the tubing real well. What is happening is with the right conditions, and the frezzer having enough of a vaccum a small amount of air is escaping from that area and it makes a howling noise. Try that it should work. Tom

[fokelley]

I'm going this weekend to buy plumber's putty. That sounds like an easy place to start. Will let you know if it works. If it doesn't, I'll try to figure out how to clean the fan blades.
Thanks for all the responses.

[kayakcrzy]

I do not think it is a dirty condenser blade. It is a vacuum issue, where air is escaping. If you need me I am at www,applianceeducator.com

[Dan KUHN]

amana side by side frig side stays to cold frezs veg turn temp up and down and nothing changes.

[woodchuck]

Cold air enters the fridge through a damper or vent between the freezer and fridge. The evaporator fan in or behind the freezer blows the air through. There is an adjustment to open and close this vent to allow more or less cold air in. A spring could be off your control or the control not working if it's electronic.

[kayakcrzy]

Replace your cold control. The cold control is what regulates the temperature. How about a model #, and a manufacturer #, and I would be able to give you an accurate diagnosis.Tom