The short answer
On the D family the noises owners report most are the ones the defrost cycle makes, and they are on a clock rather than on demand.
What you observe on these models
- A buzz or rattle that comes and goes with the compressor — It starts when the machine starts and stops when it stops, which places it at the compressor end rather than inside the cabinet.
- A ticking or clicking every few seconds — Short, repeated and always at the same interval: that is a start device cycling, not a mechanical noise.
- A fan noise that changes when the door is opened — If it stops with the door switch it is the evaporator fan inside; if it carries on it is at the back of the cabinet.
- NEAR MISS - a loud noise with the cabinet also going warm — Noise plus a loss of cooling is not a noise complaint.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Defrost cycle noises on a clock — First on this family. Sizzling, cracking and a soft bang at regular intervals is water reaching a warm surface and ice releasing, and the interval is the clue, and because the family spans several configurations, the answer depends on which of them you have.
- Fan blade striking frost that the defrost cycle left behind — Second, and it is the version of the above that is a fault.
- Start relay clicking at the compressor — Third. A steady click every few seconds without the compressor settling into a run is a start device, and it belongs here rather than lower because it is cheap, common and easy to confirm by ear.
- Bearings, mounts and the cabinet itself — Last. Fan bearings, hardened mounts and an unlevel cabinet are all real causes of noise on this family, but they produce a constant noise rather than a timed one, so the timing question above sorts them out first.
Check in this order, and why this family dictates it
- Write down when the noise happens for a day — Timed and repeating points at defrost; constant points at a bearing or the installation. No other test separates these as cheaply.
- Check whether the noise follows the door switch — Second: it splits the inside of the cabinet from the back of it in one move.
- Look for a frost sheet on the rear wall of the cold compartment — Third, because a ticking fan and a failing defrost are the same repair, and finding the frost confirms both at once.
- Listen at the compressor for a repeating click without a run — Last, and it is worth doing even when the cabinet is still cooling: a start device that is clicking is one that is on its way out.
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. Never reach behind a running fan to find a noise, and never run the cabinet with its rear cover off to listen: the cover is part of the airflow path and it is also what keeps fingers out of the fan.
Models in the D family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| D58165-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D58200B-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D58200C-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D58200C-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D58200H-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D58200H-BLACK-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D58200H-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D58200H-WHITE-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D58200W-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5840B-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5840C-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5840C-BLACK-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5840C-SILVER | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5840C-SILVER-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5840C-WHITE-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5840S-SILVER | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5840W-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5850-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5850-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5850H-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5850H-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860B-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860C-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860C-BLACK-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860C-SILVER | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860C-SILVER-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860C-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860C-WHITE-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860S-SILVER | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5860W-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5880-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5880H-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5888B-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5888B-BLACK-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5888S-SILVER | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5888S-SILVER-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5888W-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5888W-WHITE-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5897B-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5897H-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5897H-BLACK-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5897H-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5897H-WHITE-ASZ | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
| D5897W-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:d |
When to call a technician
Call when the noise is a knock or a grind at the compressor, when a fan noise continues after the obstruction and the frost have been dealt with, or when the noise arrives alongside a loss of cooling. Give the technician the model number from the table above: across a family this wide the fan and mount parts are not interchangeable.
Other faults covered for this family
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