The short answer
On the Amana 4w5ij90 refrigerator family, a noise the cabinet did not used to make points at the defrost cycle, because a hiss that lasts minutes and repeats a few times a day is water on a warm element rather than a fault. The brand-generic article puts the condenser fan at the top of this symptom; on this platform it sits fourth, behind causes that are quicker to rule out.
What you observe on these models
- A hiss or crackle for a few minutes at a time — Water meeting a warm element during defrost, which is normal on a frost-free cabinet.
- A buzz lasting a few seconds, a few times a day — Timed to a fill, which is the water side talking rather than the machine.
- A chirp or scrape that stops when a door is opened — The door switch cuts one of the two fans, and that test costs nothing at all.
- NEAR MISS — the noise arrived with the cabinet getting warm — Then the noise is a clue to a cooling fault and that page ranks the causes differently.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Defrost heater sizzle and the drip that follows, which is normal — The first thing to rule in. A hiss or a crackle a few times a day, lasting minutes, is water hitting a warm element. It is worth naming because it frightens people into replacing parts that are working.
- Ice maker fill and harvest, which is normal cycle noise — Second, and close behind the first. A buzz then a clatter, a few times a day, is the maker working. Owners who have just started using the ice line often report it as a new fault, and no part is at fault.
- Evaporator fan blade catching ice, or its bearing — Third. A blade clipping frost makes a chirp or a scrape that changes when the door is opened, because the door switch cuts the fan. That single test separates it from almost everything else on this list.
- Condenser fan blade fouled, or its bearing worn — Last on this list. The fan lives in the dirtiest part of the machine. Debris on the blade produces a rhythmic tick, a worn bearing produces a drone, and both get louder as the compressor gets hotter.
Check in this order, and why
- Note how long the noise lasts and how often it returns — Start here. Minutes, a few times a day, is defrost. Constant is not, and that distinction saves a part.
- Time the noise against the ice maker — Then this. A buzz then a clatter, a few times a day, is the maker working and needs no attention at all.
- Open the freezer door and listen for the noise to stop — Third. The door switch cuts that fan. A noise that stops with the door open is inside the freezer and nowhere else.
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.
Models covered by the 4w5ij90 family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| 4w5ij90-07 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-08 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-09 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-10 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-11 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-12 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-13 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-14 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-15 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
| 4w5ij90-16 | amana:refrigerator:4w5ij90 |
When to call a technician
Call once the free checks are clean and the noise is still there, because what remains is a fan bearing, a mount or the compressor, and all three want the cabinet moved. Call straight away if the noise arrived together with poor cooling or a hot smell, since then the noise is a symptom of something larger.
The other faults covered for this family
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