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An Amana BE makes a small number of noises in normal operation and a small number that mean something. The model matrix on this page lists two model numbers under this family badge. The useful distinction is not loud against quiet but where the sound comes from and whether it tracks the compressor cycle, and that is how the ranking below is built.
The noises worth acting on
- A rattle or buzz from the back of the cabinet — A buzz behind the cabinet that starts and stops in step with the compressor, which places it in the machine compartment.
- A chirp, squeal or grind from inside the freezer — It changes or stops when the freezer door is opened, because the door switch cuts power to the evaporator fan.
- A clicking that repeats every few minutes — Clicks at a regular interval without the compressor settling into a run are a start-device symptom, not a board fault.
- A buzz or hum that has become noticeably louder — A hum you feel through the floor more than you hear in the room, which is transmission rather than a failing motor.
- A knock or thump on start and stop — Tubing that has shifted onto the cabinet transmits every compressor start as a single knock.
- NEAR MISS — the noise comes with a warm cabinet — Then the noise is secondary and the cooling failure is the page you want; fix the cooling and the noise usually goes with it.
Causes, most likely first on the BE line
- Evaporator fan blade fouling ice or a worn fan bearing — Ranked first on the BE line: this family is a tight one — two model numbers under one badge and this is the fan that runs coldest and wettest, so it is the first bearing to complain and the first blade to catch ice.
- Condenser fan obstructed or bearing worn — Second, and easier to confirm than the first — pull the unit out, look, and the obstruction is usually visible.
- Compressor mounts and cabinet levelling — Third: a hum that has grown without changing pitch is normally transmission through tired mounts or an unlevel cabinet, not a failing motor.
- Compressor or start relay fault — Last, and it is the only one of the four where the noise is a warning rather than a nuisance.
The check order on these models
- Open the freezer, hold the door switch closed and listen — A noise that stops with the door and returns with the switch is this fan and nothing else.
- Look for frost on the freezer rear panel — A blade ticking against ice and a worn bearing sound similar; the ice tells you which, and it changes the repair.
- Pull the unit out and watch the condenser fan run — Second location, same class of fault — an obstruction is usually visible before anything is dismantled.
- Check the cabinet sits square on all its feet and touches nothing — This explains a noise that has grown rather than one that appeared.
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. If you hold the freezer door switch in to test the evaporator fan, keep your fingers well clear of the blade: that switch exists to stop the fan when the door opens. Never run the cabinet with the machine-compartment cover off.
Models in the BE family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| BE1-442AR | amana:refrigerator:be |
| BE1-442F | amana:refrigerator:be |
The service-call line
Call once the sound has been located behind the freezer rear panel, or when it tracks the compressor exactly. On the BE line an owner can level the cabinet, clear an obstruction and say which compartment the noise comes from; replacing a fan motor, a relay or a compressor mount is a service call.
Nearest pages of this class
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