The short answer
On the AUFM family most noise complaints are about how the cabinet is standing rather than about anything inside it. These are light cabinets with adjustable feet, and a compressor that is inaudible on a carpeted floor fills a room on tiles. Rule the installation out first.
What you observe on these models
- A hum or buzz that runs with the compressor — It starts and stops with the machine, which places it at the compressor end of the cabinet.
- A rattle that changes if you lean on the cabinet — That is the cabinet, the feet or a loose panel rather than anything inside the sealed system.
- A repeated click every few seconds with no steady run — A start device attempting and failing. Worth attention even while the cabinet is still cold.
- NEAR MISS - a loud noise together with softening contents — Noise plus lost temperature is a cooling fault first. Treat it on the cooling page and the noise usually explains itself.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Cabinet rocking or touching a wall — First on this family. A cabinet resting on three of its four feet drums every time the compressor starts, and one pushed into contact with a wall or a pipe transmits straight into the structure, and on a single-model family there is no configuration question to settle first.
- Loose rear cover, drip tray or tubing contact — Second. A missing screw or a suction line touching the shell buzzes at one particular point in the cycle, which is why the noise seems to come and go for no reason.
- Hardened compressor mounts — Third. The rubber grommets go hard with age and heat and stop isolating the compressor from the shell. It sounds alarming and is not, but it does not recover.
- The compressor itself — Last. A knocking or grinding compressor is the one finding here that ends the cabinet, and on this family it is also the least common of the four.
Check in this order, and why this family dictates it
- Rock the cabinet by hand at the top corners while it runs — A noise that changes as you take the weight is the installation, and nothing needs to be opened.
- Check the clearance at the back and at both sides — Second because contact with a wall or a pipe is common and costs nothing to correct.
- Press a flat hand on the rear cover during the noise — Third: a buzz that stops under pressure is a fixing, not a bearing.
- Listen at the compressor last — Hum is normal, knock is not, and by this point the three cheap explanations have been eliminated.
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. Do not run the cabinet with its rear cover removed to chase a noise, do not wedge or pack anything against the compressor to quieten it, and never lever or bend the tubing at the back: a split line ends the cabinet and vents refrigerant into the room.
Models in the AUFM family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AUFM011AEW | arctic-king:freezer:aufm |
When to call a technician
Call when the compressor knocks or grinds through a run, when a click repeats every few seconds without the cabinet settling into a steady run, when there is a burning smell, or when the noise came with the contents starting to soften. This family is a single model, so the start device and mount kit can be identified before the visit.
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.
