The short answer
Most of the noises reported on the AMAR refrigerators come from four places, and separating them is a matter of timing rather than of tools. On these models a loose rear panel is the first thing this page would have you rule out. Most of the causes below are owner checks; the last of them is not.
What you observe on these models
- 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.
- A bang at intervals through the night — Long intervals and a single event point at a harvest, not a fault.
- A light plastic chatter from under the cabinet — Something loose is being shaken rather than something turning.
- NEAR MISS — a hiss together with a chemical smell — Stop, disconnect the appliance and call a technician.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Loose rear panel or condenser shroud — This is the commonest noise after a service visit, because a panel screw went back in the wrong hole or did not go back at all. First, because it accounts for every observable above without needing a second fault. One design carries every cabinet size in this family, so it holds across the line.
- Refrigerant flow heard after a defrost — If the sound only ever follows a defrost and never coincides with anything else, it is very unlikely to be the fault you are chasing. It ranks second — the fault the first check leaves standing.
- Defrost timer or damper motor stepping — A mechanical timer clicks as it steps and a damper motor drives its flap with a short whirr; both are normal and both worry owners. Third: a real cause on these cabinets, but a less frequent one.
- Compressor mounts hardened with age — The sound is a low drone that is loudest in the room next door, and that is what tells you it is structural rather than mechanical. Last, which is exactly why the checks above are worth spending first.
- Body: The departure here is airflow, up: one design stretched across several cabinet sizes asks most of the air path in the biggest of them, so airflow faults lead on this family.
Check in this order, and why
- Cut the power and go round the rear panel and shroud fixings with a nut driver. — First, because it settles the top of the ranking before anything else is touched.
- Time the noise against the defrost cycle before spending anything: a sound that only follows a defrost is usually normal. — Next, once the check above has come back clean.
- Note the time of each noise for a day: a scheduled click is a control doing its job, a continuous noise is not. — Last, so that nothing further is spent until the cheaper checks are exhausted.
Cut the power before anything else
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. A loaded cabinet is heavy and top-heavy with the doors open, so empty it and get help before moving it. 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 AMAR family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AMAR27**E | amana:refrigerator:amar |
| AMAR27S1E | amana:refrigerator:amar |
| AMAR31T**E | amana:refrigerator:amar |
| AMAR35**E | amana:refrigerator:amar |
| AMAR35S1E | amana:refrigerator:amar |
| AMAR43**E | amana:refrigerator:amar |
| AMAR46TS1E | amana:refrigerator:amar |
When to call a technician
Call when the noise survives the panel screws, the feet and the pan, because what is left turns behind a panel. Call at once for a hard knock from the compressor that arrives together with a loss of cooling.
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.
