Refrigerator Running Constantly or Making Loud Noise
Likely causes
- ✓Condenser coils covered in dust, forcing the compressor to work harder
- ✓Failing evaporator or condenser fan motor
- ✓Ice buildup on the evaporator fan blades
- ✓Worn compressor start relay or aging compressor
- ✓Refrigerator not level, causing vibration against cabinets
A refrigerator that runs nonstop is usually working harder than it should, not necessarily failing outright. Dust-covered condenser coils are the most common and cheapest cause — they’re easy to check and clean, and in Las Vegas’s dusty climate they build up faster than most homeowners expect.
A loud rattling or buzzing noise more often points to a fan motor or ice buildup on the evaporator fan blades, which happens when the defrost system isn’t cycling correctly. If the coils and fans check out fine, we test the compressor start relay before assuming the compressor itself is failing, since a bad relay is a far cheaper fix.
This is one of the issues covered under our Refrigerator Repair service.