The short answer for these models
Noise on the AU refrigerator family divides cleanly: sounds from the back are the compressor and the condenser fan, sounds from inside are the evaporator fan and the defrost cycle, and sounds that change when you lean on the cabinet are mounting. This family is one model number, which makes the scope of this page unusually clear. Locate it first and the ranking below does the rest.
The observations that separate this fault from its neighbours
- Gurgling, boiling or a trickle after the unit stops — Refrigerant settling and melt water running to the drain. Normal on every refrigerator, and the most commonly reported non-fault.
- A single loud bang or knock at long intervals — Thermal movement of the liner or a duct, usually around a defrost cycle. It sounds alarming and is not.
- The noise changed after the cabinet was cleaned behind — Something was moved: the drain pan, the duct, or the machine itself now touching a wall or a pipe.
- A sharp crack or pop at intervals — Plastic and metal expanding and contracting as the cabinet changes temperature, most obvious during and after a defrost cycle.
- NEAR MISS — a hiss or a smell with the noise — Stop and isolate the cabinet. Anything that sounds like escaping gas or smells burnt is not an ordinary noise complaint.
Causes, most likely first on the AU line
- Normal operating sounds — Ranked first because these cabinets sit in kitchens where the background noise is low, so an owner notices a sound that was always there. Establishing that a noise is normal is a real diagnostic outcome, not a non-answer.
- The cabinet as a sounding board — Second. Any normal sound becomes a complaint when the cabinet amplifies it. A foot that is not down, a floor that flexes, or a side panel touching a cupboard will each turn a hum into a drone.
- Fan obstruction, inside or behind — Third. This is the first genuinely mechanical cause on the list, and it is still usually free to fix — ice inside, debris behind.
- Bearings in either fan — Fourth, and the one item on this list that will definitely get worse if it is ignored.
- The compressor and its mounting — Last, and rarely the answer to a noise complaint on its own.
What to check first, and why that order
- Locate the noise before doing anything else — Inside the cabinet, behind it, or under it. Three locations, three separate halves of the list.
- Note whether it keeps time with a fan or with the compressor — A rhythm that matches a fan is an obstruction; a steady hum is the compressor or a mount.
- Open the door and listen again — On most cabinets that stops the internal fan, so a noise that disappears has just named itself.
- Lean on each corner of the cabinet in turn — A noise that changes under hand pressure is resonance, and it needs a spirit level rather than a part.
- Pull the cabinet out and look at the back with the power off — Last because it is the most work, and by this point you know whether the noise is even back there.
Before any panel comes off
Safety
Power off at the plug or the breaker before the back of the cabinet is touched. Do not hold the door switch to watch the internal fan run with a hand inside the compartment. Moving the cabinet to reach the back is a two-person job on the larger models in this family. A noise complaint on its own does not put food at risk, but check the temperature while you are there: a refrigerator holds food safely at 40 °F (4 °C) or below and a freezer at 0 °F (−18 °C) or below.
Models in the AU family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AU83ETWBR1RCM | arctic-king:refrigerator:au |
Where owner work stops
Call once the cabinet has been levelled, cleared and defrosted and the noise is still there. Bring three answers with you: where the noise is, whether it keeps time with a fan or the compressor, and whether the cabinet is still cooling normally. On the AU refrigerator family those three usually decide the repair before a technician arrives.
The rest of this family’s pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
