The short answer
Owners of this refrigerator land here for one reason, and a grinding sound from inside the cabinet is a fan blade meeting ice, and it usually arrives with a small loss of cold. Clearing the ice is an owner job and often ends it, but ice that returns means a defrost fault behind it.
What you actually see
- A buzz that rises and falls — A tone that changes pitch is almost always a fan blade touching something, not an electrical noise.
- Gurgling or trickling from inside the cabinet — Fluid sounds after the compressor stops are normal on almost every unit and need no repair.
- A hum you can feel through the floor — Vibration transmitted into a floor is usually the cabinet, the feet or the surface under it rather than the machine.
Causes, ranked for this refrigerator
- Evaporator fan striking ice — Check this first: the noise usually arrives with a slight loss of cold, because the same frost that the blade is hitting is also blocking the air. It is worth being sure about this one rather than half-sure, since everything after it assumes a verdict.
- Drip tray loose in its channel — Check this second: the tray is a light plastic part sitting near the compressor, and once it slides out of its channel it buzzes against the frame. This is the entry most often blamed correctly and diagnosed carelessly, so take the extra minute.
- Condenser fan blade fouled or worn — Third in order: it runs whenever the compressor runs, which is why the noise seems to follow the compressor and gets blamed on it. Confirm it before moving on, because the entries below read differently once it is ruled out.
What to check, in order
- First — the freezer evaporator area — Empty the freezer section and look at the inner rear panel. Ice near the fan opening is the answer.
- Second — the drip tray under the cabinet — Wedge a folded cloth beside the tray for a minute as a test. If the noise stops, you have found it.
Checks an owner can do safely
- Step 1. Seat the drip tray — Reach under the back with the unit unplugged and check the tray is square in its channel. Reseat it if it moves under one finger.
Tools: flashlightAbout 10 min
- Step 2. Turn the condenser fan by hand — With the unit unplugged, spin the fan blade. It should turn freely and evenly. Grit, drag or a wobble is the noise you are chasing.
Tools: flashlightAbout 10 min
- Step 3. Press the back panel while it runs — A flat hand on the back panel that silences the noise identifies panel resonance, which is a mounting fix rather than a part.
Tools: noneAbout 5 min
Before you open anything
Safety
Kill the supply at the plug or the breaker, then check nothing can be switched back on by somebody else. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. If a step only makes sense with the machine running, it is a technician step and not one of these.
When this becomes a service call
The line is not about confidence, it is about what the next step needs. Call when the noise is coming from the compressor body itself, when the fan is seized rather than fouled, or when the sound arrives together with a cabinet that is no longer cold.
Sources
General guidance- The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — OSHA 1910.147 and manufacturer service manuals, fetched
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Scope, stated plainly: this covers Black+Decker refrigerators as a class. It does not cover the differences between families, production years or control revisions, and a model-specific page will beat it on any of those. Use Related pages to get down to the page written for your exact unit.
Related pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
