HELP--Fridge/freezer buzzing louder than my power amp!

Posted by: ayap1 on 11 June 2012

For the past two days my fridge/freezer has been sounding very loud on (about 45minutes to an hour) and off (about 45 minutes to an hour ).It's about 4years old, does anyone know what's wrong? Thanks to anyone who could help.

Ayap1

Posted on: 11 June 2012 by sheffieldgraham
Originally Posted by ayap1:

For the past two days my fridge/freezer has been sounding very loud on (about 45minutes to an hour) and off (about 45 minutes to an hour ).It's about 4years old, does anyone know what's wrong? Thanks to anyone who could help.

Ayap1

Don't know what it's got to do with Hi-Fi (better posted in the Padded Cell), but:

Could be a loss of refrigerant and consequently the compressor is working harder. 

It's all to do with compression and decompression. When a gas is compressed heat is evolved. Hence the external components of a fridge are hot. When compressed gas is allowed to expand rapidly the energy is released and the gas or liquid becomes cold. This is what keeps the internals cold.

Is it keeping temp.?

Posted on: 11 June 2012 by Mike-B

Have you asked the same question on a forum that deals with F+F.

This forum only gets excited over F+F making pops & clicks on the audio or the loony brigade debate how much colder -18'c is with a PowerLine 

 

Have you moved it recently & did the noise start then?

Its more than likely the compressor making the noise - try the following  
  1. It might be the whole F+F has moved & not set on the floor properly or its touching something & its vibrations are making the noise - try moving the whole F+F out & then refit & re-set the feet so its correctly installed on the floor & not touching close by cabinets. 
  2. It might be the F+F has been bumped & its moved or strained the rubber mounted compressor so its touching something; and/or its moved the compressor on its internal suspension - check the compressor is not touching anything - if it is try moving the compressor on its rubber foot mounts (don't strain anything)  
  3. While its out - run it & listen to the compressor - if it is making the noise its as per #2 above - if not its knackered & needs replacing, it might be a gas problem (I doubt it as it is cooling) it might be the internal suspension or a bad motor but a bad compressor cheapest option is probably a new F+F unless you know a friendly fridge engineer.  
 

 

 

Posted on: 11 June 2012 by Mike-B
Originally Posted by sheffieldgraham:

When compressed gas is allowed to expand rapidly the energy is released and the gas or liquid becomes cold. This is what keeps the internals cold.

 

Close but no cigar Graham  

The compressor raises gas pressure on the HP side & lowers pressure on the LP side 

HP gas is passed to & is cooled in the condenser (the external coil) & becomes HP liquid 

HP liquid passes to & thru the expansion valve (restriction orifice) at the inlet of the evaporator (the internal coil), the drop in pressure thru the expansion valve causes the HP liquid to expand into a LP gas absorbing energy (heat) in the evaporator as it does so. 

LP gas returns to the compressor & the cycle repeats 

Posted on: 11 June 2012 by ianrobertm

Entropy:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RefrigerationTS.png