What this means on these models
Most of what owners of CRX cabinets call a grinding noise is a fan blade touching ice. The ice is the real fault and the noise is a symptom of it, which is why this page starts with the defrost story rather than with the fan motor that seems to be making the sound.
Symptoms on this family
- A chirp or squeal from the back of the freezer that stops when the door opens — The door switch cuts the evaporator fan, so anything that stops with the door is that fan or something it is touching.
- A knock when the cabinet cycles off — Tubing moving against the shell as it cools. Harmless, but it is worth confirming it is tubing and not a loose mount.
- A rhythmic ticking that follows the compressor — It starts when the compressor starts and ends when it stops, which places the noise in the machine compartment rather than in the cabinet.
- A rattle that changes if you press on the cabinet side — Panel resonance: the cabinet is passing a normal vibration into a surface that amplifies it.
- NEAR MISS - water running noises with no puddle — Meltwater finding the drain. It is the cabinet working correctly, and chasing it wastes a weekend.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Condenser fan obstructed by dust or a shifted shroud — Second, and much more common on cabinets in tight surrounds where the machine compartment never gets cleaned because nobody can reach it.
- Cabinet out of level or a foot not carrying weight — Ranks high here precisely because it is invisible: the machine is fine and the floor is the fault, and the noise is a resonance rather than a mechanism.
- Evaporator fan motor bearing worn — Real, but it ranks below the frost cause because the same symptom is produced far more often by ice than by wear.
- Compressor mounting grommets hardened with age — A vibration that used to be absorbed is now transmitted to the shell. It is a cheap part and an awkward job, so it is diagnosed carefully before it is chased.
Working the fault in order
- Press each cabinet panel in turn while the noise is happening — A rattle that changes under your hand is resonance and needs no part at all.
- Look for frost across the evaporator through the rear freezer panel vents — Do this once the fan has been implicated: frost in the blade path explains the noise and points at defrost rather than at the motor.
- Note whether the noise tracks the compressor cycle — Anything that starts and stops with the compressor is in the machine compartment; anything that runs continuously is a fan.
- Listen at the back of the machine compartment with the compressor running — Second because it needs you behind the cabinet, but it separates the condenser fan from the compressor by ear alone.
Before you open anything
Safety
Cut the power first. Once the panel is off you are working beside the evaporator, where a sharp fin and a thin aluminium tube are inches apart and neither forgives a slipped tool.
Models in the CRX family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CRX302301 | bougerv:refrigerator:crx |
| CRX302301B | bougerv:refrigerator:crx |
| CRX303001 | bougerv:refrigerator:crx |
| CRX303001B | bougerv:refrigerator:crx |
When to stop and book a visit
Owner territory ends where the diagnosis needs a meter. If the checks in the order above leave you with a component you would have to test electrically, that is the point to stop and let somebody with the schematic take it.
Other pages for this family
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