The short answer for this family
On the Allavino CDWR family, a cabinet making a noise it did not make before is usually a fan blade fouling its shroud or a worn fan bearing. The build group your model falls in decides whether one circuit or a divided compartment is holding the temperature.
What you observe on these models
- Which of the family's models you are standing in front of — The matrix on this page is seven cabinets whose suffix splits the family into a first build group and a second build group, and that is worth reading first, because the build group your model falls in decides whether one circuit or a divided compartment is holding the temperature.
- A buzz or rattle that comes and goes with the compressor — It starts when the machine starts and stops when it stops, which points at mounting rather than at the pump.
- A whine or click that stops when the door is opened — Opening the door cuts the evaporator fan, so a noise that dies with the door is that fan.
- A crack or pop a few times a day — Metal expanding and contracting through a cycle. It is loud, it is sudden and it is normal.
Causes, most likely first on the CDWR family
- A fan blade fouling its shroud or a worn fan bearing — Ranked first because the build group your model falls in decides whether one circuit or a divided compartment is holding the temperature.
- A panel, shelf or item in the cabinet resonating — Second.
- Sounds that are normal for this machine — Third. Timing separates it: a noise that appears a few times a day and lasts a short while is usually a cycle, not a fault.
- The compressor and its mounts — Fourth. Less common than the causes above, and the least pleasant to confirm without removing the rear panel.
- A sealed-system or compressor fault — Last, and that placement is the point of the ranking: it is the least common cause and the only one that is not an owner fix.
- Body: This is not the brand-generic ranking. A fan blade fouling its shroud or a worn fan bearing moves to the top of this family's ranking and sounds that are normal for this machine goes down to third place, because the platform here is a compact cabinet with one sealed system feeding a divided compartment, the divider carrying its own damper and sensor.
Check in this order on these models
- Open the door and hold the door switch in — If the noise appears with the switch held and dies when you let go, it is the evaporator fan and nothing else.
- Lay a flat hand on each panel in turn while it is running — A noise that changes under your hand has just told you which panel is passing it on.
- Time the noise over a day — A noise that appears a handful of times and lasts a short while is a cycle doing its job.
- Body: The order follows the ranking, and the access decides the rest: on these models the machine compartment is reached from the back, and the sensor and damper hardware from inside the cabinet.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never hold the door switch in with tape and then reach inside: the fan is running because the switch is defeated, and it will not stop for your hand.
Models in the CDWR family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CDWR15-1SWT | allavino:refrigerator:cdwr |
| CDWR19-1SWT | allavino:refrigerator:cdwr |
| CDWR28-1SWT | allavino:refrigerator:cdwr |
| CDWR29-2SWT | allavino:refrigerator:cdwr |
| CDWR34-1SWT | allavino:refrigerator:cdwr |
| CDWR44-2SWT | allavino:refrigerator:cdwr |
| CDWR48-1SWT | allavino:refrigerator:cdwr |
Where the owner limit falls on these models
Call when the noise is inside the machine compartment, when it is accompanied by a cabinet that has stopped holding temperature, or when it is a grinding rather than a rattle. A noise on its own, with the cabinet still cold, is rarely urgent.
Other symptoms covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
