The short answer
On the ABR series of Avallon refrigerators, a new noise or vibration leads first to a cabinet that is not standing level or square. No page above this one covers the fault for the brand as a whole here, so the order below is complete rather than a refinement. 4 of the 5 causes below can be checked without a tool; the rest need a technician.
What you actually see
- The noise started after the cabinet was moved or levelled — Something behind it has shifted into contact, which is the most common consequence of moving a cabinet at all.
- A knock or a shudder when the machine stops — The machine settling on its feet or its tubing touching the cabinet wall.
- The whole cabinet walks or drums against the wall — Vibration is being transmitted rather than absorbed, which is about levelling and contact, not about the part making it.
- NEAR MISS — a noise that is there whether or not the machine is running — Then it is not the machine. Check what is standing on it and what is touching it before going further.
Causes, most likely first on the ABR series
- A cabinet that is not standing level or square — Feet that have worked loose, or a floor that flexes, let ordinary compressor vibration become a drumming. It is the cause most often mistaken for a failing compressor.
- The evaporator fan inside, fouled by ice or worn — It is behind the rear panel of the freezer compartment, and it is the part that speaks loudest through the open door. A blade catching frost gives a tick that changes when you open the door and the fan stops.
- The condenser fan at the back, dusty or obstructed — It shares its space with everything that falls behind a cabinet. A bag, a lump of dust or a bent blade turns a quiet fan into a rattle you hear from the next room.
- The ice maker cycling, filling and harvesting — Cabinets that make ice make noise doing it: a fill, a whirr and a drop of cubes into the bin. Switch it off for a day and see whether the complaint goes with it.
- The defrost cycle: sizzling, popping and dripping — A heater melting frost off the coil hisses, and water hitting a warm tray pops. It runs a few times a day and only ever for a short while.
The order to work in
- Time the noise against the cooling cycle with a clock — Twenty minutes of listening replaces a great deal of guessing, because most of this list is identified by when the noise happens rather than by what it sounds like.
- Decide first whether the noise tracks the cooling cycle — A noise that starts and stops with the compressor belongs to something that switches with it, which removes half the list at once.
- Rock the cabinet gently at each front corner — Any movement at all means the feet, and that takes a minute to correct.
- Note whether the noise survives the machine being switched off — If it does, it is not the machine, and everything below is the wrong list.
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. Keep the door switch and every other interlock wired as you find them: each one stops something moving while a hand is inside. Put back every panel, clip and cover you take off before the machine goes back on the supply.
Models in the ABR family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ABR151BLSS | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR151SG** | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR152BLSS | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR152SG | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR152SG** | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR15PGA2A | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR15PSA2A | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR15SGA2A | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR241BLSS | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR241SG** | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR242BLSS | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR242PRG | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR242PRG** | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR242PRS | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR242PRS** | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR242SG | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR242SG** | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR24PGA2A | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR24PSA2A | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
| ABR24SGA2A | avallon:refrigerator:abr |
When to call a technician
Treat the boundary this way: what you can see, reach and clear with the machine isolated is owner work; anything on the sealed system, and anything needing a reading rather than an observation is not. On this page that puts the defrost cycle: sizzling, popping and dripping on the far side of the line.
Other problems covered for the ABR series
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
