What you are actually seeing
- A clicking every few minutes with no cooling in between
- Cracking or popping sounds after a cycle ends
- Not this fault: Noise plus a compartment that will not get cold
Ranked causes on a Conserv refrigerator
- Cabinet not level or not sitting on all four feet — Ranked here because: these cabinets are frequently built into cabinetry that does not give them the clearance the platform assumes
- Loose drain pan or a loose rear panel — Ranked here because: this is a wear part with a service life rather than a component that fails at random
- Cabinet touching a wall, cabinetry or another appliance — Ranked here because: a coil that cannot reject heat produces every symptom of a failing system while nothing has actually failed
- Evaporator fan blade catching frost or ice — Ranked here because: with no ice maker in the cabinet the defrost drain is the only water path, so any water at all points at it
- Condenser fan blade fouled or motor bearing worn — Ranked here because: the condenser fan is what lets the machine reject heat at all
- Compressor mounting grommets aged or a compressor running loud — Ranked here because: a machine that runs harder surfaces anything marginal as a performance complaint first
What to check, and in what order
- Pull the cabinet clear of the wall and cabinetry and listen again
- With the cabinet still running, rest a hand flat on the rear access panel and on the drain pan
- Unplug the cabinet and clear dust from the condenser coil and the condenser fan blade
- Stand at the cabinet and place the sound: inside the compartment, at the back, or at the base
Steps you can safely do yourself
- Unplug the cabinet and clear dust from the condenser coil and the condenser fan blade — Tools: vacuum with a crevice tool, coil brush — Estimated time: about twenty minutes
- Stand at the cabinet and place the sound: inside the compartment, at the back, or at the base — Tools: none — Estimated time: a couple of minutes
- Open the fresh-food door with the cabinet running and listen for the sound to stop — Tools: none — Estimated time: a minute
- Press each of the four corners of the cabinet in turn and note any rocking or any change in the sound — Tools: none — Estimated time: a few minutes
Safety
Safety
unplug-before-service
When to call a technician
the noise comes from the sealed system or the compressor itself, which is not an owner repair the evaporator fan is icing repeatedly, because that is a defrost fault and not a fan fault the compressor is clicking without starting, because the cabinet is losing temperature while you decide
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Not this fault: the family pages for the all-refrigerator, upright-freezer and chest lines Not this fault: model-specific pages once a model number is known
Links: - [Common CONSERV Refrigerator Problems](/blog/conserv-refrigerator-problems) - [Common Conserv Refrigerator Problems](/blog/conserv-refrigerator-problems-2) - [Common Conserv Freezer Problems](/blog/conserv-freezer-problems) - [CONSERV Refrigerator: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/conserv-refrigerator-abnormal-noise)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
