The short answer
On the AMA refrigerators the question is not how loud the noise is but what it runs with — the compressor, the fan, or a schedule. On these models a fouled condenser fan is the first thing this page would have you rule out. The checks below are all owner-side; what they buy you is a named cause before anyone is paid.
What you observe on these models
- A rattle from the back that stops when the compressor stops — The timing places it on the condenser side.
- A low hum that is louder in the next room than in the kitchen — Structure-borne noise travels; airborne noise does not.
- A buzz that changes when you lean on a corner of the cabinet — The cabinet is carrying the noise, which makes it a mounting question.
- NEAR MISS — water on the floor alongside the noise — A displaced drain pan makes both at once.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Condenser fan blade fouled or out of balance — A bent blade gives a deeper whirr rather than a rattle, and it will wear out the motor bearing if it is left. Ranked first here: the commonest of the four on this family. One design carries every cabinet size in this family, so it holds across the line.
- Ice maker fill and harvest mistaken for a fault — An ice maker announces itself: the valve buzzes as it fills, the mould heats, and the cubes drop with a bang that carries through the house at night. Second, because it produces almost the same complaint from a different part.
- Drain pan chattering in its rails — A pan noise is a light plastic rattle rather than a hum, and it usually stops if you press the pan down. Third, because the two above account for most of what arrives with this complaint.
- Supply tubing pressed against the cabinet — Adding a loop of slack costs nothing and takes away the path the noise was using. Last on this page: real, but uncommon on these cabinets.
- Body: Against the brand-wide order, airflow causes move up and installation causes down: the ladder spans cabinet sizes, and the largest cabinets in it load the airflow path hardest, which is where this fault shows first.
Check in this order, and why
- Cut the power, take the rear cover off and turn the condenser fan by hand, feeling for roughness and for anything caught in the shroud. — It leads: the ranking puts this cause first, so its check goes first too.
- Switch the ice maker off for one day and note whether the noise you are chasing stops with it. — It sits here because it rules a cause in rather than out, which saves a step later.
- Cut the power, look under the back of the cabinet and seat the pan properly in its rails. — Last, because it confirms what the checks above have already narrowed.
Before you take a panel off
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Leave the door switch wired as it is: it cuts power to the evaporator fan for a reason. Do not reach into a running fan to find a noise. Cut the power, turn the blade by hand, and refit the panel before powering up.
Models in the AMA family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AMA27S1E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31** | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31**A | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31**E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31**Q | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31**QA | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31BKE | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31S1E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31S3E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31S5E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35** | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35**A | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35**AQ | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35**Q | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35BE | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35BK | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35RD | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S1 | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S1Q | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S2 | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S3 | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S4 | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35WE | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA43BKE | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA43R**E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
When to call a technician
A noise you can place — a loose panel, a pan out of its rails, a cabinet off its feet — is an owner fix. One from inside the freezer or from the compressor is not. Disconnect and call for any burning smell.
The other faults 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.
