The short answer
Start with a fan blade catching on frost: on the BD models it accounts for more of this complaint than the rest of the list put together. The models here step through more than one size, so the causes that scale with load — and the ones that depend on where a component had to go to fit a larger body — move up the order.
What you observe
- A scraping or warbling noise from inside the freezer — It rises and falls, and it stops when the cooling cycle stops.
- A clunk followed a minute later by running water — A regular event a few times a day rather than a continuous noise.
- NEAR MISS — the noise came with the cabinet getting warm — Then the noise is a symptom and the warm cabinet is the fault.
Causes, most likely first on the BD line
- A fan blade catching on frost — Ranked first here — it is the noise owners describe most often and it comes and goes with the cooling cycle, which is the tell.
- Compressor mounts that have gone hard — Second here — it builds slowly over years and it is a hum rather than an event.
- A suction line touching the cabinet shell — Third here — it takes a knock or a move to start, so it is worth checking on a cabinet that has been shifted.
- An inlet valve buzzing as it fills — Fourth here — easy to place: it happens only while water is running, which none of the other causes depend on.
- A damper motor ticking as it repositions — Fifth here — it is quiet, intermittent and the least likely of the list to be what brought you here.
- Body: This line is a size ladder rather than a set of finishes, so load and layout drive the ranking more than component age does. Here the posture changes no positions — the causes on this page are far enough apart in likelihood that nothing moves.
Check in this order, and why
- Open the freezer and hold the door switch in — A scrape or warble that appears with the switch held in, and stops when you let go, places the noise inside the freezer.
- Put a hand on the compressor shell while it runs — A heavy, low buzz felt through the cabinet frame rather than through the air points here.
- Look where the copper lines run into the back of the cabinet — A line resting on sheet metal rather than on its clip will carry every vibration the compressor makes.
- Shut the water supply to the cabinet for a day — A buzz that disappears with the water off is the valve, and nothing else needs opening.
- Listen inside the fresh-food compartment rather than the freezer — A light tick from the upper vent area, a few times an hour, is the damper.
- Body: These models differ in size, so the same component is not in the same place on every one of them. Work from the checks that are identical across the line toward the ones that depend on which body you have. Every check pairs with the cause at the same position, which is what makes a negative result useful rather than merely disappointing.
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. A refrigerator is a heavy cabinet on small feet: pull it out squarely with a hand on each side and never tip it to look underneath while it is plugged in.
Models in the BD family — Every model this page covers, exactly as the model line is recorded. Nothing outside this table is a model number, and nothing on this page claims to cover a model that is not in it.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| BD-150 | amana:refrigerator:bd |
| BD-150-01 | amana:refrigerator:bd |
| BD-200 | amana:refrigerator:bd |
| BD-200-01 | amana:refrigerator:bd |
| BD-255 | amana:refrigerator:bd |
| BD-255-01 | amana:refrigerator:bd |
When to call a technician
Call when the noise sits behind the freezer rear panel, when it comes with a loss of cooling, or when it has changed from a hum into a knock — a knock is a moving part striking something, and it does not improve. Stop and call at once for a burning smell or a scorch mark at the back of the cabinet.
Nearest pages of this class
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
