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tima9209

Does a reasonably quiet refrigerator exist?

tima9209
15 years ago

I've had a new Samsung RF267 refrigerator for about three weeks now, and I would describe its noise signature as follows:

1. The compressor sounds like a bad fluorescent ballast audible at least 50 feet away.

2. There are random creaks, ticks, and pops audible 80 feet away around a corner and through a hallway into a bedroom (office).

3, Up close, the fan makes an oscillating hum, and the circulating refrigerant sounds like a box of crickets.

This is actually worse than the LG SxS I returned due to the incessant, high-pitched, oscillating overtone it produced whenever its compressor was running. My old Kitchenaid was nowhere near as obnoxious as these two expensive Korean monsters. I took a chance on the Samsung after reading comments from people saying "they can't hear the refrigerator." My conclusion is that they aren't very sophisticated in assessing noise levels; perhaps their ambient noise level is very high (kids, traffic, whatnot), the fridge truly is off when they listen to it, maybe just the fan is running, or they're hearing-impaired. Or maybe they're just sales reps doing some astroturfing, as I heard the same story from salespeople at Lowe's and Best Buy. Reading user reviews of the CR recommended refrigerators, most everyone that actually buys one hates it.

So what's a person to do? Continue playing musical refrigerators in hopes of finding one that isn't a modern piece of noisy, unreliable (but pretty!) junk? Feeling very frustrated, and looking for advice.

Comments (235)

  • movla
    7 years ago

    Glad to help out, Brian. BTW, "eshmh" (see above - 11/5/15) wrote:


    My LG with linear compressor is quiet. It is not noise free when standing close it, but I can say I would not have problem sleeping in the kitchen. It was becoming louder at some point (fan noise and also shows that the fans are variable speed), and the cause was that the ice built up on the fridge evaporator because the auto-frost timing was a bit too short. It was a known issue of this model and the control board with an updated firmware was replaced. The fridge has been at brand new quiet level ever since.


    The one I bought was dated, I believe, 01/16, so perhaps the newer models do not have the icing issue. I have read that icing can cause issues with fan noise, so who knows what will happen 6 months from now. But, as eshmh said, it was a known LG issue that supposedly updated firmware addressed. Also, do look at the factory outlet stores. The one I picked up from Sears outlet was new but had a few very minor scratches and was hundreds less than a "perfect" one. $990 plus tax and delivery.


  • PRO
    Stardust + Gravity
    7 years ago

    Adding my experience with a very noisy SUB-ZERO fridge! Still not resolved!!!

    I needed an integrated refrigerator/freezer to fit into an existing small kitchen space. There were very few options out there that were 80 inches or shorter. Sub-Zero stopped making 80"h refrigerators in 2014 or so. I ended up finding a Sub-Zero 700TCI demo unit from a dealer. It came with a warranty and looked brand new, so we bought it at a demo price of around 75% of the MSRP.

    Plugged it in to test it in the kitchen prior to the remodel and noticed it seemed louder than the old Fisher & Paykel fridge (which was a very good fridge). We hoped it would be quieter once it was built into the cabinetry. It wasn't. We pulled it out and reworked the cabinet, lining the entire inside with acoustic foam/vinyl material, overlapping the material and put down an anti-vibration mat on the floor. It didn't make a difference, and meanwhile the Sub-Zero was getting louder and the evaporator fan is running for longer an longer stretches of time (2-3 hours at a time, 4 times a day, insanity).

    We called Sub-Zero multiple times, where first we were told it was 'normal' for the fridge to operate at that sound (louder than our dishwasher, approaching garbage disposal level of noise). We kept calling, eventually they sent a guy out.

    5 weeks later, two tech visits, replacement of the evaporator fan, and the noise continues to get worse. It's really loud now. At this point we've been waiting for over a week for another appointment from Sub-Zero to try and fix their refrigerator or get them to buy it back.

    I don't understand why they can't diagnose and fix the sound. I've found many other people online with the same problem and same noise -- here is a link to a youtube video showing the same unit that sounds exactly like mine --

    DOES THAT SOUND NORMAL TO YOU???


  • Brian Ephraim
    7 years ago

    I ended up buying a LG LFC 22770ST. At first it seemed way quieter than our not-that-terrible-but-still-too-loud-for-me Kenmore. It still made some typical refrigerator high pitch sound, but that was lower. But the hum. This LG emits a substantial low-frequency hum. Most people won't notice it. But it's there. And it travels. It goes through the wall. It travels across the house through the floors. I can hear it in just about every room of our single story house. Only the far end of the house is almost completely quiet. But still, I can sense when it's running vs when it's idle. I have verified this sense by walking across the house to verify when I suspect it's running. It's not a loud hum in any room except the kitchen. 99% of people would call me too-sensitive for noticing and crazy for letting it bother me. I even put a rubber floor mat under it and sound absorbing foam on the wall next to it. I'm probably going to return it (hopefully Best Buy doesn't hassle me). I think I should avoid the linear compressor models. High pitch noise is much more containable.

  • movla
    7 years ago

    Brian - I am so sorry your experience was not as good as mine. I certainly feel bad because I know you bought your machine based partly on my recommendation.

    I can't hear any hum in my loft which is right over the kitchen, nor can I hear a hum when I am standing right next to it. The machine is virtually, although not completely, silent. I don't understand - either you are much more sensitive than I am, (which is difficult to fathom as I am nuts about noise), or there is a huge variance between individual units, or you have a bad one. If it is emitting a "substantial low-frequency hum" then I am guessing there is a problem with it. I have no such hum coming out of mine, even with the ice machine turned on. If I did I would have sent it back.

    When I bought mine, I made a deal with the salesman that I could try it for three days and he would take it back, less shipping, if I did not like it. Do you have any return recourse?

  • anoop
    7 years ago

    Brian,

    How do you contain high-pitched noise? I ended up returning a Bosch because of the high-pitched noise. I started having headaches from it.

  • Brian Ephraim
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    If you put your ear to the floor, do you hear a hum? I found other reports about it. The construction of my house certainly has something to do with the way it travels. I'm going to combine a 3'x3' piece of plywood and some of these these anti-vibration pads to create a floating floor platform for it. "Substantial low frequency hum" is a misstatement. What I mean is the hum is a very low pitch and noticeable, and it carries. Best Buy does have a 14 day return policy, so no big deal if it doesn't work out.

    anoop, my fridge is in an alcove in my kitchen and I can put sound absorbing foam around it. and my kitchen is in its own room (no open floor plan). I can hear some high pitch (normal refrigerator high pitch, nothing too crazy) in my kitchen, but in other rooms I can't hear it, unlike low frequency noise. If I completely enclosed the fridge I think it would eliminate the higher pitch noise, unlike low pitch noise that easily carries through walls and floors. But I would worry about ventilation if I completely enclosed it.

  • movla
    7 years ago

    Very strange. No, if I put my ear to the floor I still hear only the faint "airy" sound of, I guess, the fans. I hear no hum, such as a 60 cycle hum, at all. I hear nothing, really, and my low frequency hearing range is excellent.

    Is it a bad unit? If I were you I would return it.

    Now, my apartment has concrete subfloors, so if there were a faint hum, it would not resonate. It may be possible that any low level hum that I cannot detect is amplified by your floors. Still, for it to be that noticible it would have to be loud enough for me to hear it at all without the resonant factor.

    Is there a date on the unit? Remember that some of the ones made in 2015 had a fan issue. If it was made this year, I have no clue. Seriously, get rid of it.

  • anoop
    7 years ago

    If your phone will pick up the hum you could post an audio clip. At least you would know if it's normal or a defect. If it is normal, you would know that you have to look for something totally different. That is what sent me in the direction of the Liebherr. I posted a video and was told the high pitched sound is normal and that it is probably being exacerbated by my tile floor and open floor plan.

  • Brian Ephraim
    7 years ago

    Here is a video. If you wear headphones, and turn them up, you should clearly hear the low humming. The sticker says it was manufactured 2015.


  • anoop
    7 years ago

    Is that the sound that is more noticeable at 20 sec and then again at 40 sec (but appears to be present throughout)? If so, I hear it, but at least to my ears there is a high pitched noise which is much more bothersome.

  • Brian Ephraim
    7 years ago

    Yeah the low hum sound louder at 20s.

  • movla
    7 years ago

    The video keeps cutting out on me for some reason, but I hear two sounds. The most noticeable to me is the annoying 55 cycle hum, approximately an A1 pitch. While it is not super loud, it will carry and resonate, making it possibly louder at a distance. My LG does not do this. Yours should not be making this noise. Mine does not hum at all. I would not keep such a fridge.

    The second thing I hear is the fan noise, which I heard most prominently when you went to the underside of the unit. This aperiodic, "pink" type of noise, which produces no discernible pitch, is also present in my unit. However, for my ears, this sound does not carry and I can't hear it unless I am right next to the fridge. This noise may have some higher partials which may be the ones which trouble anoop, but they don't travel and don't bother me. Finding a fridge with no fan noise at all would probably be next to impossible.

    No, that low hum would not be acceptable to me. I don't know why your unit is making that sound. Mine does not. If it were me, I'd dump it.

  • HU-225254
    7 years ago

    Do any of you kind folk have comments about the sound (and any other comments like reliability, etc) on the refrigerators I'm considering: The Kitchenaid counterdepth SS french door (KRFC 300 ESS), Frigidaire Pro (FPBC 2277 RF), or the Frigidaire Gallery (FGHG 2366 PF)?

  • Urbicoastal
    7 years ago

    yes long thread dating back a few years, but SO helpful,. Thank you all. Amongst our family, there are 2 Liebherr installs (1 is 5 yrs old, the other 1 yr young) --- both Quiet, open space, delightful appliances.

    NEED HELP - in my kitchen reno, apt living, cinder walls, poured slab floors with wood parquet - we are going open format (even tho that is going out of style for some). WANT AN UPRIGHT FREEZER 30-32", THAT IS QUIET. Have replaced 3 in 25 years (gaskets fail and are noisy) and am done with that.

    Looking into Electrolux (more 'affordable' at $2k), Marvel, maybe Liebherr (but their size selection didnt work when last i looked), possibly Miele. Have not studied SubZ b/cuz many report quality is no longer there and price is beyond acceptable to us. Not sure about Thermador. Not impressed with Samsung and LG reviews (--- transparency alert: have some issues about LG that have nothing to do with appliance performance)

    Freezer and main refrig will be in a Pantry (a galley L) off the kitchen.

    Am keeping my old 501R Subzero. 23 years and running strong and Super Quiet (yes we are religious about cleaning the base grill area 2x/year).

    YES we will look into Roxul, mineral wool and elevated install for floor insulation (if height allowances permit raising the Freezer unit) .

    So noise and HEAT GAIN are concerns. A bedroom wing abuts this pantry.

  • Ben the Man
    6 years ago

    This thread has been really helpful, at least as validation that I am not crazy for being annoyed by the noise of my new refrigerator. I'm trying to find a replacement fridge to trade for a new one we are unhappy with, but since this thread a little old, most of the recommendations on here wouldn't be available for retail purchase anymore.... Anyone made a recent refrigerator purchase that they are happy with?

    We just bought the 2017 Whirlpool French Door (WRF954CIHM) which was rated excellent for noise by Consumer Reports, but I find it far from excellent. The compressor and fan seem constantly to be running, and one of them makes a constant buzzing noise like a bad fluorescent light. It drives me nuts and our floor plan is open so there's no escaping the noise. BTW, it's our second attempt with this fridge - the first was returned and replaced with the same model, us thinking it was just a lemon.

    I am potentially interested to try the Roxul idea. Anyone else tried it and been happy with the results?

  • Vith
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I am wondering if the cabinetry is amplifying the sound. If you stick a noisy object in a box like structure with one opening, the sound is louder out of the opening. Otherwise, vibrations are another way sound travels, and is why low decibel bass sounds carry so well, they vibrate straight through walls. Ensure fridge is not up against the wall transferring vibrations.

  • Ben the Man
    6 years ago

    Thanks for your reply Vith. Yes the fridge has cabinets on both sides. We had to remove the cabinet above the fridge to make room for the taller profile and haven't yet done anything to replace that. Any idea if an upper cabinet would help to dampen the sound?

  • maire_cate
    6 years ago

    We installed a Sub Zero 42" French door in our new home a few months ago. We also have an open floor plan and this refrigerator is very quiet. Much quieter than the 30 year old Sub Zero 501 R and 501 F that we left when we moved - and they weren't noisy. I think the only sounds we heard were when the ice maker dropped the ice and then you could hear the water filling again.

    Since this house is smaller we researched all the appliances before purchasing and noise was a significant factor. Our Bosch DW is so quiet we only know it's running because it shines a red light on the floor.

  • Drew C
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    We bought a Samsung RF18HFENBWW/AA about four months ago and within two months it started making the "trapped squirrel" type noise mentioned above. Have been going back and forth with Samsung and their contracted service technicians since then. They insist it's normal but it's the loudest fridge I've ever had in nearly four decades of intimate contact with refrigerators... We're seriously considering moving it to the garage.

    Edit: In retrospect we probably should have just returned it to the store, but we tried to do a warranty service through Samsung and have since run out of the 90-day return period.

  • Tim McDonald
    6 years ago
    We have a Viking VCFF036. Stay far far away from this model. I measured 65 dB towards the bottom of the fridge at the front. And it’s a horrible sound that makes my ears ring after the compressor turns off. I think the engineers who designed the fridge must have been def.
  • Tannis Kobrinsky
    6 years ago

    I own a vacation home that I rent out on Airbnb and I also occupy a week out of each month. I'm hyper noise sensitive. I inherited a 2014 GE side by side when I bought the house in 2016. This monster clicks and moans. I had a GE service person out and he said it was the compressor and a major fix. Suggested I just live with it. But I"m not the only one living with it. My guests also have to cope. Much of the time they haven't mentioned it and I have all 5-star reviews from guests. The current guests had to unplug the fridge in order to get a good night's rest. That is not acceptable. I'm buying a new fridge ASAP. Recommendations here are really helpful. Thanks!


  • Y B Bicoastal
    6 years ago
    still liking the no noise of leibherr. amongst 3 establishments one is 24" all refrig, others are 30" bottom freezer with TANK FEED water for ice. that feature is great if you don't want to plumb for water feeds or are concerned, as i am, of leaks during absence. however ice production is slow.
    noise wise I don't hear these leibherr. one is built in, others are in cabinet surrounds.

    the Electrolux new freezer and secondary old workhorse subzero refrig are elsewhere. freezer is not quiet but has size and other features we wanted
  • Coralie
    4 years ago

    Old thread but reviving it because its the only one on the Internet that seemed to understand/address my concerns! We bought a new LG fridge six months ago now, and after multiple technician visits, changing compressor, leveling it, putting on vibration pads, the high pitch noise is still here and as loud as ever... LG won't even take my calls anymore because they say there's nothing wrong with the fridge and it is "normal". Agree to disagree. Fridge is in our open living area and I can't stand to be in this room anymore because the noise is driving me crazy (on for about 40 min/ off for about 10 min, all day and night long). We've had lived in many rentals with different fridges before and it's the first time I have to deal with that and I am at my wits end...



    Posting video below - can anyone tell me if I am crazy?? Does that sound like normal fridge noise? I recorded it with a decibel meter and it makes a consistent 60 dB (90dB is me knocking the phone by mistake).





  • anoop
    4 years ago

    That type of noise is the reason I returned a Bosch (while it was in the return period) and got a Liebherr instead. I was told that noise was normal. It was suggested that I try things like putting a carpet underneath and on the wall surfaces around the fridge, which I didn't bother to try.

  • budmen
    4 years ago

    Wow, this thread is still going on. Our new (now old) F&P did make a lot of noise that took some effort to dampen, but afterwards it worked great for a long time.


    Despite the noise issues, we liked the performance of the refrigerator enough to buy a new F&P refrigerator after a major reno job. Integrated are very expensive and F&P are at the lowest price point with reasonably good quality, so we took the chance on another F&P.


    We got the Active Smart 36" integrated French door with ice (no water dispenser). It's not completely silent, but it's nothing like the previous model we had before, so in this case I'm quite happy with it. The price is good for an integrated refrigerator compared with the other high end brand names. No issues so far, it's been in use about 4 months now. The only thing to note is the ice bucket takes a very long to to fill up (a few days), but it relentlessly keeps on refilling after each use, so it manages to keep up (we take out ice every day). We actually have to empty it out after a while to get rid of stale ice below.


  • T A
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    @Coralie, I wrote this over the weekend, and it's kinda long, but the last half of it concerns mitigating LG compressor noise like yours, and I think you might find it worth reading.

    OP checking in over 10 years later. This forum used to be GardenWeb, right? Anyway, it turned up in my Google search, and the text included with the hit results seemed strangely familiar. :) In 2008, I returned that Samsung and bought a $2000 GE SxS, and I was stuck with that miserable thing, because Home Depot refused to honor their return policy and wouldn't take it back. The GE made at least three distinct whining noises overlaid on each other, including one occurring every 30 seconds or so that sounded like that descending-in-pitch whistling noise falling bombs make in old war movies. As an added bonus, it ran almost continuously. Anyway, that thing began progressively dying, and I've been making do with the 20 y/o garage fridge for the last year, so it's been blissful silence inside my house. Sadly, the garage fridge started losing its cooling ability, and it was again time to look for a new fridge for my open layout with tile floors, a very challenging environment.

    I decided to try about the cheapest one I could find, and that was a $500 Insignia top freezer model NS-RTM18SS7 from Best Buy that 73 users recommended for "quiet operation."

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-18-cu-ft-top-freezer-refrigerator-stainless-steel/5161200.p?skuId=5161200

    That thing had excellent, uniform cooling performance, but it's noise signature included:

    1. A very loud evaporator fan, mitigated by it being pure white noise. Stinking loud, but relatively benign.

    2. A loud, shrill compressor. Just bad.

    3. Frequent groaning sounds rather like a wildebeest being eaten alive by African wild dogs or a deer being attacked by a bear. (Thanks, Youtube, for the nightmares.) User reviews likened it to cows mooing, an upset stomach, someone trapped inside, etc. Those were the reviewers to listen to, not the 73 hear-nothings. The Geek Squad guy who came out said there was nothing he could do about it. This fridge did not have an icemaker, so it wasn't that.

    Aside from the noise, I could have lived with that cheapo Insignia fridge, but back it had to go. Next, I tried a Whirlpool bottom freezer that cost twice as much, the WRB322DMHV.

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/whirlpool-22-1-cu-ft-bottom-freezer-refrigerator-black-stainless-steel/6112639.p?skuId=6112639

    I liked the design very much, but its noise signature included:

    1. A pronounced hum due to the evaporator fan, which would run for several minutes before the even louder condenser fan and compressor would turn on.

    2. A very loud compressor with minimal whine.

    The Whirlpool was just plain loud, albeit it at a steady low pitch. Nothing especially annoying, though it would wear you down over time, and I could hear it everywhere in the house. I could hardly turn the living room TV 15' away up loud enough to drown it out. It was in its own way at least as bad as the Insignia. Back it went. I was not going to try a Samsung after reading many contemporary reviews complaining about the frequent loud popping and cracking thermal expansion sounds I mentioned in my 2008 OP, such as in the reviews for this one:

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/reviews/samsung-25-5-cu-ft-french-door-refrigerator-with-internal-water-dispenser-stainless-steel/4980433?feature=noise

    Instead, I rolled the dice on an LG bottom freezer model, the LDCS24223S:

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-33-wide-large-capacity-bottom-freezer-refrigerator-stainless-steel/5117000.p?skuId=5117000

    Its shelving design is not quite as good as the Whirlpool, but it wasn't a dealbreaker. Its noise signature includes:

    1. Minimal fan noise, though there is at times a moderately objectionable hum, at a little higher pitch than the Whirlpool.

    2. Minimal high frequency compressor "singing," that I was able to eliminate more than a few feet away by placing an area rug underneath it and lining the bottom couple of feet of the alcove with acoustic panels:

    https://www.amazon.com/12-Acoustic-Panels-Studio-Wedges/dp/B00TP7C9YY

    The rug slides in easily between the wheels/supports and isn't visible at all, and the mostly concealed panels fade away after you stop looking for them after a day or so. The LG's condenser coils are inside the body in the back, not exposed on the bottom like with my old GE, so the rug isn't blocking any air flow or otherwise interfering.

    The LG's a keeper! It's not silent by any stretch, but it's tolerable. There is fan noise and at times a moderate hum, but I can't hear it everywhere in the house, and the TV 15' away can overcome it at normal volume levels. It makes no cracking sounds like a Samsung, nor does it sound like a falling bomb like the GE, nor does it sound like an animal being eaten alive like the Insignia. It also cycles instead of running almost constantly like the GE, so there are intervals of absolute silence.

    The acoustic treatments I applied were well worth doing. I got almost a 6 dB improvement at 10' per my iPhone's DecibelX Pro app, which BTW seems at least as accurate as my Radio Shack meter, which I also use to help calibrate my home theater. The LG is about 8 dB quieter than the Whirlpool of similar design.

    Finally, I would say never buy an appliance from Home Depot, because they refused to honor their return policy in 2008, which had no disclaimer about the refrigerator I bought from them. Best Buy is the way to go, then and now. Bad as I felt doing it, it was an easy process having them exchange the fridges. Love Best Buy.

  • budmen
    4 years ago

    What worked for me when I had a noisy refrigerator was to use Safe n Sound Rock Wool insulation. It works as a sound absorber, as opposed to a sound proofer. You can purchase it from Home Depot and other HW stores.


    Since you cannot fully enclose a refrigerator and sound proof it, the only thing left is to place sound absorbing material around the back, sides (if enclosed in a cabinet), and bottom as best as possible. You have to be mindful of airflow, the refrigerator has to dissipate heat in order to operate efficiently.


    The Safe n Sound material can be easily cut with a bread knife into thiner sheets as required. In my case, the biggest reduction was from placing a thin sheet under the bottom (we had a tile floor which is the worse for reflecting sound), and to place a thicker sheet on the back wall all the way up (we had enough room for a 1 or 2" air gap for ventilation). We did not place sheets on either side of the enclosure. The sound reduction in our case was very noticeable and sufficient to call it a day and keep the refrigerator. It worked perfectly for a few years until we did a major reno and bought a new integrated fridge which thankfully is quiet enough.


    If you do not have enough room in the back to place a thick sheet, you can take out the drywall and place the Safe n Sound material inside the studs, If you can only place a thin sheet underneath the refrigerator, that should give a big reduction by itself.


  • Coralie
    4 years ago

    Thank you both for your comments and suggestions. I am still baffled that from anyone's perspective, the sound of my refrigerator is considered "normal", it shouldn't even be manufactured to be this loud. I'll try the Safe N Sound! the fridge is only partially enclosed but hopefully it'll help a bit.

  • T A
    4 years ago

    About what the manufacturers and service people say, I mentioned that the Geek Squad guy said he couldn't fix the groaning Insignia, which per reviews, is a common problem. I had the 2008 GE checked out, and the tech said it was normal and complained about his tinnitus. (Great, a ready excuse for not hearing defects.) I called Whirlpool just a few weeks ago about their crazy loud product, and they eventually agreed to send someone out, but they said I'd be charged $90 if he deemed it "normal." I declined, said I would sooner return the fridge, and they said "OK." So I returned it.

    When I got the LG, I ran into a bit of trouble reversing the door swing. At one point, you have to screw three screws into solid plastic, which the manual doesn't tell you, and my power screwdriver was not doing the job. I called them, and they set up an appt two days later. The local tech called me later that day and gave better instructions. I pulled out my drill and with a bit more force, got the door reversed without any problem, so I canceled the appt. I'm mentioning this because I've heard horror stories about LG service. Well, this was pretty good, I thought. YMMV.

  • Coralie
    4 years ago

    Following up on this - We installed carpets all around the fridge and the noise didn't improve whatsoever. If anything, it sounds like the noise is getting worse by the day (or my patience is just thinning out, who knows). LG threatened to charge us if we called them again for troubleshooting, so we gave up and are selling this fridge on Craigslist for half the price we bought it six months ago. Can't deal anymore.


    We are looking at a new fridge, and this time I am doing one hell of a research. I looked up the one you mentioned, TA, the LDCS24223S, even though my crappy fridge is currently a LG. I am seeing actually a lot of reviews that complain about the noise, most of them in recent months, so it seems that having a quiet or loud unit is a lottery. The high pitch noise people complain about seem really similar to the one I am having issues with, so I am starting to wonder if the issue doesn't come from compressors recently issued by LG, regardless of the fridge model?


    It seems that it's a gamble, really. We are losing $800 by selling our fridge instead of having an exchange or refund, and I can't afford to spend too much on a new one. We are looking at the Haier model # HRQ16N3BGS https://www.homedepot.com/p/Haier-16-4-cu-ft-Quad-French-Door-Freezer-Refrigerator-in-Stainless-Steel-HRQ16N3BGS/300859002 Honestly, the quality looks subpar (people comment that their fridge stops working after a couple of years) BUT there is not one single review that mentions noise.


    i'll report if all works out!


  • T A
    4 years ago

    Did you slide a piece of carpet underneath it? That's important.


    FWIW, my LG's manufacture date is 04/19. Going back to my original post from 2008 and the ones the last couple of weeks, the LDCS24223S is the first one out of six modern fridges I decided I could live with, and it's the same house. As I said, while it isn't silent, all I hear more than a few feet away is fan noise after applying the acoustic treatments.


    If you're considering Home Depot, get it in writing they'll take the thing back. They refused to honor their return policy which didn't exclude the GE I talked about a few days ago, and I was stuck with that miserable thing for 10 years. It may not matter, but Haier bought GE's appliances division a few years ago. I wouldn't bank on the reviews you mentioned. I don't think any fridge is going to be completely silent. I mean, most have at least two fans which have to move a decent amount of air, plus they have a compressor.

  • Coralie
    4 years ago

    Yes, carpeted under and all around and nothing changed. It is not the humming that is bothering me , it is the high pitch inconsistent noise. My fridge sounds almost exactly like that on and off throughout the day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cHuVJEu58g I have lived in 7 different rental apartments over the years with 7 different fridges and nothing has ever sounded as bad as that LG one. I know fridges are not dead silent, but this fridge is something else. I've had guests come over and right away notice the sound.


    Best Buy wouldn't take the fridge back either so it is not just a Home Depot policy. They said we can only return if the fridge doesn't fit. We complained to them 4 days after delivery and they told us return was not possible, they only could exchange for same model if a LG technician assessed the noise was not normal.

  • T A
    4 years ago

    It's possible sample variation accounts for our respective experiences with LG. The LG SxS I mentioned in my 2008 OP was definitely worse than the 2019 one I have now. I was hoping they improved their design, but I have no way of knowing that. Besides leveling the fridge and applying acoustic treatments, the only other idea I have is opening up the back and looking for sources of vibration, such as the lineset rubbing metal. You could carefully touch various things as the compressor is running and see if applying pressure reduces the noise. Also make sure the rubber grommets used to mount the compessor are in good shape.

    In 2008, I returned two fridges to Best Buy, and I returned two last month (May 2019), which I alluded to in my long Jun 3 message. I'd suggest talking to a manager, though I didn't have to any of those four times, and yes, they came out and picked the things up. It was an easy process. I did speak to the Home Depot manager, who was quite rude when he refused to honor their return policy. If it happened now, I'd like to think I'd pursue it with corporate and my credit card company if need be.

    BTW, based on my experience, a technician will almost certainly say any sound is "normal," including truly ridiculous ones. I talked about that in my Jun 5 message.



  • budmen
    4 years ago

    Safe n Sound will work better than carpet, it's specifically designed to absorb sound and is fire proof, carpet has some absorption properties but is not designed for that purpose, it can also catch fire, so it's not safe to use near electrical components.


    Placing sound absorption on the underside of the fridge is the most important area because most of the sound will be reflected off the floor, that's where the compressor is usually located.


    If possible, placing sound absorption in the back will help get rid of a lot of sound. Placing absorption at the sides will give you the least results and is much more difficult to hide from view without closing off the required air flow. If your fridge cannot dissipate heat properly, it will work harder and make even more noise.


    I learned all this from my own experience with a different noisy fridge. It's always possible that your situation may be different for some reason.


  • Coralie
    4 years ago

    budmen, how do you install safe n sound under the fridge? The only one I found at my store was that one https://www.rona.ca/en/insulation---safensound-insulation-0708003--1 which is supposed to be going inside the walls, but I am not sure how I would put it under?


    T A I am based in Canada, so perhaps that's why the Best Buy policy is different. its clearly written on both Home Depot and Best Buy websites, appliances can only be returned if still in the box, so by default when they deliver and install it's already non-refundable. It's a shame because yes, how can you know if the product is up to your satisfaction if you can't try it....


    Turns out the Haier is too wide for our space, so back to searching we go. Such an exhausting process.

  • budmen
    4 years ago

    There should be two wheels in the back and two adjustable height legs in the front that hold up the fridge off the floor which gives you about 1" of so of height from floor to bottom of fridge, that's the air gap to fully close off which will prevent most of the sound from reflecting off the floor outward into the room..


    Cut from a batt of SnS insulation a section to fit completely under the space, all the way from front to back, side to side, it'll be a rectangular shape about 1" thick. The legs and wheels will get in the way, but you can cut two other lengths to slide between the legs and wheels before sliding in the larger piece..


    The thickness has to be reduced so you can easily slide it under without it breaking up or compressing. If you have to, you can firm it up by taping the bottom side (floor side) with duct or packing tape, but do not over tape, it's best to keep as close to "as-is" as possible.


    Be aware that compressing the insulation reduces the effectiveness of the sound absorption, so stuffing it in (compressing) will actually make it not work as well, so be sure to keep it uncompressed.


    To make the cuts, use a long serrated bread knife, the longer the knife the better. A knife with a flat edge won't cut nearly as well as a serrated edge.


    To keep it simple, insulate the bottom first, and if you get a noticeable improvement, you can try insulating the back side to get it closer to silent or it may at this point be silent enough for you.


    To insulate the back side, cut a batt to fit behind the fridge, starting from where the compressor is up towards the top. Make sure there's an air gap of at least 1/2" all the way up so that expelled hot air can escape. The warm air rises and usually vents from the top for a push in fridge. You can nail or staple the insulation to the wall to prevent it from crumbling and blocking off air flow. Do not worry too much about the air gap along the sides.


    It's unfortunate you may have to buy a whole bag of the SnS insulation for a couple of cuts. Ask if the store has a broken broken bag for a price discount. If you have to buy a whole bag, keep the left overs, you'll probably find other uses for it somewhere else later on.


    Good luck, and let us know what happened if you do try this method.

  • budmen
    4 years ago

    Forgot to say I'm a fellow Canadian, and the link you provided is the right stuff to buy. Rona, Home Depot, and Lowes should have it. Make sure you get the "Safe N Sound" version, the Rockwool thermal insulation looks almost exactly the same.

    I thermally insulated my whole home with Rockwool, it's amazing stuff that gives a very tight seal because it can be cut to exactly fit odd shaped spaces. I also used it to dampen sound travel between floors and walls, and I used it to dampen annoying sound from a toilet down pipe and a shower room that is adjacent to my bed room. Another product that works well is QuietRock for helping to absorb sounds travel between rooms, you won't get 100% noise reduction though, not without a lot more work.


    FYI I do not work for Rockwool or sell the stuff in any way.


  • T A
    4 years ago

    @coralie, USA web site for Best Buy has a 15 day return window on major appliances, no restrictions.

  • Coralie
    4 years ago

    Thank you budmen for these clear explanations! I'll try it out with my next refrigerator, whichever one it is.

    T A, lucky you! In general, I find return policies always more strict in Canada (many fashion stores for instance will only give you store credit instead of a refund).

  • HU-125370452
    2 years ago

    My 2018 LG model LFXS24623S/01 runs just about 24/7 and the compressor makes several high-pitched noises...very annoying in the kitchen and also travels to the living room. I tacked Rockwool "Safe N Sound" behind the fridge and noticed little improvement; but when I put the insulation underneath (tile flooring) it cut the noise by at least 80%. Very happy I found this thread and highly recommend the Rockwool.

  • Pam Sessoms
    last year

    @budmen, thanks for writing up the "how-to" on insulating the bottom of the fridge. I'm really interested in trying, but I'm still not sure of some basics.


    About this part, "...section to fit completely under the space, all the way from front to back, side to side, it'll be a rectangular shape about 1" thick. The legs and wheels will get in the way, but you can cut two other lengths to slide between the legs and wheels before sliding in the larger piece."


    Is the Safe n Sound in a full sheet sitting on the floor and then the fridge wheels and legs are ON TOP of that, with maybe smaller pieces of Safe n Sound then placed in between the wheels and legs so that the whole air gap is filled and the material is touching both the floor and and the bottom of the fridge itself? That is, you wind up with TWO layers of Safe n Sound, one as a mat on the floor and the other cut to fit the bottom of the actual fridge and accommodate the legs and wheels?


    Or, are we really just insulating the bottom of the fridge here? So there is just a single layer of Safe n Sound and it has to be cut into pieces to leave the wheels and legs sticking out for contact with the floor? And then the floor is just the floor or maybe has a completely separate mat of some other material on which the fridge rests.


    Sorry to be dense, I just haven't been able to figure this most basic overview out! Thanks again for the writeup.

  • HU-16168550092
    last year

    I share your frustration when spending large on appliances that make far more noise thsn the appliances of our parents and grandparentss generation. I have noted testing at CR as well as forum anecdotes that refrigerators that use ”Variable Speed Compressors” generally run more quietlly than others. I know that Kitchenaid and Jennair Buitins along with the more recent Jennair Integrated Columns use the Variable Speed types and their may be ither brands and midels that use these also.

  • J C
    last year

    Our Maytag is as quiet as our Bosch 300 series dishwasher with 44db noise level. As for the previous sound deadening mods... it will make the fridge loose efficiency. The bottom needs to breath, for the condensor. Also the back needs to breath for the motor/compressor. There is a reason why all fridges need proper space between walls and shelving.

  • budmen
    last year
    last modified: last year

    @Pam Sessoms

    I can't believe this thread is still going after all these years, but I'm also not surprised that it is.

    Q: "Is the Safe n Sound in a full sheet sitting on the floor and then the fridge wheels and legs are ON TOP of that,"

    A: No!!!! Do not compress the sheet in any way, it is most effective when left uncompressed, you do however have to cut it thin enough to be able to slide it under the fridge. For the rest of your question, the most important part is to cover up as much of the floor gap as possible, it is not necessary to have 100% of it closed off, it may not matter that much. What matters is you are trying to stop sound from the compressor bouncing off the floor outwards into your living space. Don't forget you can also place a thin sheet behind the fridge which may help as well. Read again my original comment on how to do it, make sure to leave enough air gap for hot air to escape or you'll be causing more problems than solving.

    One more thing to make a note of is that there's two kinds of rock wool insulation, one is for thermal insulation, the other is for sound absorption, make sure you get the sound absorption version. I had such good results with the stuff for sound insulation I used it to insulate the outdoor walls when I renovated, in that case I used the thermal insulation, it's definitely not as good for sound absorption, I tested it out myself. I have only 4" thick walls in the old home so it was the same thickness in my case.

    I have to mention one last thing, our new F&P we got is still chugging along really well, it has no noisy compressor issue, but we have a new issue with noise coming from the ice maker. It worked really slowly as I said previously, and later on started making loud grinding sounds when it dispensed new ice. We called in a repair costing us $480 CAD (ouch!) to replace the ice maker, after that it worked much faster making ice and was quiet (happy!). Fast forward 1.5 years and guess what? Yes it's making the same grinding noises and is slow making ice again (very sad!). So now what? I bet a second repair will cost $1000 because everything is now a lot more expensive. I figure I'll take the ice maker out myself and try to figure out why it's malfunctioning, not much to lose at this point.

    Stay tuned, I may be back with a report on the results, the refrigerator challenge is never over lol

  • budmen
    last year
    last modified: last year

    @J C

    "The bottom needs to breath, for the condensor. Also the back needs to breath for the motor/compressor."

    I agree, however the bottom may not be as important as the top for air flow, although the compressor / motor may get hotter than normal when there's less air flow coming in from the bottom (cool air comes in from bottom, hot air leaves from top). If you look at the back of the fridge that's usually where most of the thermal dissipation takes place, there are radiators part way or all the way up the back side - an decent air gap MUST be there. Hot air rises, so the heat is dissipated from the top rather than from the bottom (an air gap at top is required), however cool air needs to come in from the bottom.

    In my case (which thankfully I no longer have to do) I made sure the sides were left open from bottom to the top for cool air to come in, but the floor bottom was mostly sealed off. I did not have any noticeable refrigeration or freezing issues, it all seemed to work the same as before except more quietly. Someone else may have a different experience, and it may wear out the motor sooner, hard to say. Bottom line is that no one should have to do anything like this, but when it's a trade off between your sanity and efficiency of the refrigerator, sanity often wins.


    BTW Please tell us what make and model your Maytag is, thanks!

  • likestonehomes
    last year
    last modified: last year
    1. What an interesting and informative thread. We are in process of looking for a new fridge and are comsidering Bosch 800 series B36CL80ENS. Does anyone have experience or thoughts on this model?
  • Pam Sessoms
    last year

    @budmen Thanks, this was extremely helpful! I get it now. I have bad visualization skills and originally didn't understand the basic form factor of the Safe n Sound when it's fresh out of the package. When it's laid out flat, it's going to be "taller" than the gap under the fridge, and you don't want to squish/compress it at all. So you gotta use the bread knife to make it shorter without squishing it, in addition to cutting it in the other dimension. Now that I re-read your original, makes perfect sense! :D


    And yep, I understood the part about behind the fridge easily.


    Thanks again and good luck with that ice maker!

  • HU-128874147
    last year

    Reading this thread with interest. Also annoyed with noise from new fridge and freezer. I have the Frigidaire Professional single door fridge and freezer combo.


    When I stuffed sound proofing under the fridge, it overheated and stopped cooling This approach was pretty effective for reducing noise but this model apparently required ventilation from below the unit to cool off. I've now left about 1/2" air gap at bottom of fridge which doesn't work as well but at least the unit still works.


    My units have variable speed compressors. Unfortunately, because these compressors work 80-90% of the time (although at lower speeds), the condenser fan is also on whenever the compressor is on so there is an almost constant fan noise. I'm not sure if the variable speed compressors are quieter but in my units, the trade-off is the noise produced by the units is almost always there.


    Am seriously considering exchanging my units for quieter ones. Any recommendations for *really* quiet fridge freezers? I mean silent or near silent. Do these actually exist? Is this just a fantasy?

  • ohwhatabeautifulmorning
    last year

    2022 Thermador counterdepth fridge (made by bosch) emits high frequency sound that can be heard throughout living area. Will be trying out budmens recommendation with safensound soundproofing.

  • Y B Bicoastal
    last year

    Three locations, three Leibherrs ranging in age from 5 to 10 years. ALL are quiet. One is refrig column. Other 2 are top R, bottom F.