# squealing refrigerator



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

My fridge is starting to make a high pitched squeal.

What should I look at?


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Icemaker. You may be able to stop the flow of water to it and unplug it. The refrigerant part of a refrigerator is not user serviceable.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

This one is just a basic model with a separate freezer on top. No ice maker.


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

Does it have a fan? If compressor is squealing look for a new fridge fast. because it won't last long.


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

Mine kinda does that, has for a few years now. I'm thinking it's just a dirty fan in the back. That's one of the places (behind the fridge) that gets overlooked when housecleaning.

OTOH.........
If you mean by "squealing" that it is starting to tell on you, after a late night dessert raid, then I'm afraid you're going to have to take it out back and shoot it.
It will only get worse.......


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm not sure if it's got a fan or not. I guess that tells you how often I clean the dust and dog hair out of the underside.

Tomorrow I'll drag it out and give it a good cleaning. I'm sure it can use it.


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

It's got a fan, because it has a compressor. It'll be down at the bottom in the back, maybe behind a thin protective cage or evaporator coil. It basically is a small A/C unit.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

A lot of refrigerators have no fan. There is plenty of area for heat transfer. The "hot" coils are sometimes on the back, sometimes beneath the skin on the sides. Fans cost a couple bux. If a manufacturer can save a couple of bux, it makes the beancounters happy.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I just finished cleaning it and it does have a fan. It was pretty clean although I couldn't see the shaft of the fan. There wasn't much dust on the blades.

Maybe the giant dog hair dust bunny that I pulled out of the front last week acted like an air cleaner. 

I haven't heard the squealing for a few days so hopefully it will pass. This 40-45 F below windchill we are having is keeping the house a little cooler so maybe the fridge isn't running as much as usual.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

many have a fan in the freezer unit to move the air to the refrigerator and if the bearing go on them they make a lot of noise,


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

It started randomly squealing again. I guess if it starts squealing non-stop I'll find a fan for it unless it's the compressor.

Any ideas on determining if it's the fan or the compressor?


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

Spray the fan motor bearings with wd 40.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Good idea. I'll do that tomorrow.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

WD40 would be a last resort. The heaviest oil you can get to the bearings with, preferably gear lube, would be a better idea. Spray grease would probably work well also.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Heavy grease on an electric fan is not optimal. Generally the bearing are bronze "lifetime" bearings and a single drop sewing machine oil or 3-in-1 is suitable. Wipe away excess after a few minutes.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Very light oil won't stay in the bearings and will have to be redone very soon. Gear lube stays put for a long time but will have to be redone eventually in a bearing that's not sealed. I actually haven't tried spray grease for that yet, but it's hardly what you'd call heavy grease; I think it should work OK, but I'd try it first in a bearing that's real easy to get to with some oil, just in case.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

https://www.centuryelectricmotor.com/Motor-Doctor-Article.aspx?LangType=1033&id=772

My old distiller (R.I.P) had an electric motor and fan on top. About three years ago, after seven years of service, it had a thermostat switch failure and the fan was struggling. I disassembled and cleaned the coils and made what repairs I could. I had to substitute a timer for the switch, but I used a single drop of 3-in-1 on the (sleeve bearing) motor and it picked right back up to the original speed. It ran fine for the next three years - about four hours per day on average.

The movie projectors I used to run required SAE 20 oil for the intermittent movements and motors. The tolerances in motors and movements are incredibly tight and not suited to bushhog grease.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Harry Chickpea said:


> I used a single drop of 3-in-1 on the (sleeve bearing) motor and it picked right back up to the original speed.


If it's slowing down, the problem is dirt in the sleeve bearing gumming it up, not a worn bearing. A drop of very light oil will clean out the dirt so it can spin freely. A little heavy oil, like gear lube, will do that _and_ make sure it has whatever lubrication it may need.

I have no idea what 'bushhog grease' is, but the requirements of a good quality sleeve bearing in good condition, and one that's worn enough to squeal, are very different. In the latter case there's a lot of play in the bearing, hence the need for a heavy oil. Go ahead and use 3-in-1 or whatever if you like, but count on having to lube it very frequently.


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## Clod Kicker (May 7, 2012)

The fan motors on reefers have bushings that act as bearings. Some have oiler holes, but I've never seen one yet that has been oiled. They're relatively cheap and throw aways. If you can get a few drops of oil into the bushings, it may last a few more months. Keeping the slots on the end caps clean will help them run cooler too.
BTW, I've never heard a compressor squeal; they have a reservoir of oil. Usually they just stop working/seize up. Some wear out and don't pump anymore but still run. The only way to tell what's happening in a comp. is a) put an ammeter on the power line to it b) hook up guages and check pressures, which usually requires "tap-a-valves".


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

That's good to know. As of now the squealing is intermittent and most days it's quiet unless it's so high pitched that I can't hear it sometimes.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

If it squeals it's already pretty worn, and when it's squealing it's wearing a lot faster. If you oil it you'll stop the wear, and the squealing; if you don't, you'll be replacing either the fan or the fridge at some point.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I finally pull it out and sprayed the fan shaft with WD-40. The shaft has about 1/4" in-and-put play in it. Is that normal for a small fan?

I don't hear the cricket sounding squeal but it was intermittent before I sprayed it.


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## topofmountain (Nov 1, 2013)

They will move back & forth. As long as it works your good. As stated above is there a fan inside. They as a rule go out before the condensing fans. Because of moisture.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Thanks. This is the regular fan.

The squealing is back. Sometimes it sounds like crickets.


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## Clod Kicker (May 7, 2012)

I'm afraid this is your last option before buying a new motor. White Lithium grease; in a spray can with a spray tube included. Put that tube right up against where the shaft goes into the motor and let 'er have it. Enough to stop the squealing. Might last a few weeks. 

Just go buy a motor, eh?


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm thinking that I should find a new motor to have ready in case this one gives out.


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