Fridge (freezer part) making high pitch noise

[97tbird]

...like a rather high pitched whirring noise ...
It's a GE fridge with the freezer on top, and it seems louder when i open the freezer door than when i open the fridge part.

This thing came with the apartment when we rented, i guess i should contact the landlord ...

any idea what one could check?/remedies?

 

[SuperDave456]

Call your landlord and say it is dieing.

They are responsible for repairs. If you mess with it and it breaks DONT TELL THEM WHAT YOU DID.

If you have a can of air and a shop vac you can always try dusting off the back of the fridge.
I have heard that doing that every few years can extend the life of a lot of products. However, if it a 30 year old piece of junk that sucks electricity you may just want to do nothing and let the landlord junk it for you.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

Does it have an icemaker? If the arm of ours gets caught on something and can't move up and down freely (the arm that detects ice level) it will make some pretty strange noises.

 

[97tbird]

thanks.
the back of the fridge is pretty clean...

it does have an ice maker, but the arm is free; looks like it has nothing to do with it...

seems the noise is coming from the area of the back panel of the freezer section - is that where the compressor and stuff is?

and sorry - i mistakenly posted this in the computers section...
called and informed landlord.

 

[2oldtommy]

97tbird. It a problem with the fan motor bearing going bad from lack of lubrication. I assume it's a self defrosting model. Have landlord replace fan motor. Probably $175 and up. ---Oldtommy

 

[soldierman]

Took forever to find my login info. Sounds like the evaporator fan is failing. I remember helping an appliance man several summers when school was out. I think back then a service call and parts for that problem usually ran around $45. Thats been 20 years or better. I'd think a hundred or so ought to catch it now.

 

[Lyondellic]

+1 on a fan issue. I had the same issue with a fan located behind a panel in the freezer. In my case a screw had backed out of the fan's mounting bracket and it was an easy fix.

 

[Papa Bear]

Just a couple of drops of oil should do the trick on the fan motor. It's located at the back of the freezer behind the plastic shroud... it blows cold air from the freezer compartment to the fridge below.

 

[97tbird]

the noise has lessened a lot, without me doing anything
...almost back to normal - but i bet it won't stay that way...