The short answer
On Fridgemaster the noise you are describing is most often a cabinet that is out of level or touching something. Ranked that way because the static-cooled and frost-free cabinets fail differently, so identifying which one you own comes before any check.
What you observe
- A sharp click when the unit starts or stops — A relay or a damper doing its job, not a fault on its own.
- A buzz or rattle that comes and goes — It is following the cooling cycle, which tells you which parts are even running when it happens.
- NEAR MISS: the noise is there but the cabinet is also warm — Then the noise is a symptom and the cooling failure is the fault. Read the not-cooling page for this brand instead.
Causes, most likely first on Fridgemaster
- The cabinet is out of level or touching something — First on a machine this size, where the owner is close to every part of it. A rattle or a drumming that appears only at certain times. A cabinet standing on three of its four feet, or one whose side is resting against joinery or a wall, turns a normal vibration into a noise the whole kitchen hears.
- Compressor hum carried into the cabinet or the floor — Second: on a small machine this is quick to confirm and quick to rule out. A low hum that you feel as much as hear. The compressor sits on rubber mounts, and when one has hardened or the unit has been shuffled off its feet, the vibration transmits into the cabinet shell and the floor instead of being absorbed.
- The drain pan is loose, or water is dripping onto it — Third. A sizzle, a trickle or an intermittent clang from underneath, usually starting shortly after the cooling cycle ends.
- Bearing or compressor wear that is a service call — Last, and it is the reason the order above matters. A metallic scrape that gets worse week by week, or a compressor that has become noticeably louder than it was.
Check in this order, and why
- Rock the cabinet gently at each front corner and check the clearance on both sides — It is the cheapest check on the list and it fixes a surprising share of complaints.
- Put a hand flat on the side panel while the unit is running — A panel buzzing under your hand is transmitting, not failing.
- Look underneath at the pan and check it is seated in its clips — It explains an intermittent noise that arrives on a cycle rather than continuously.
What an owner can safely check
- Level the cabinet on its front feet and open a finger-width gap on each side — Adjust the feet until it sits solid with no rock, then confirm nothing touches it.
Tools: adjustable spanner, spirit levelAbout 20 min
- Feel the side and rear panels while it runs, then press gently on each — A noise that changes under light hand pressure is a resonance, not a failing part.
About 5 min
- Pull the lower grille and check the drain pan sits square in its clips — Reseat it if it has been knocked loose.
Tools: torchAbout 10 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel or reaching behind the cabinet. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and a fan blade you cannot see will start the moment power returns. Never hold a door switch in with tape and then walk away, and never reach into a running fan to locate a sound.
When to call a technician
Call when the sound is metallic and getting worse, when it comes from the compressor itself, or when the checks above have all come back clean and the noise is still there. A scrape that deepens week by week is wear, and wear does not reverse. Call sooner if the noise arrived together with a cabinet that is no longer holding temperature, because then you have two symptoms of one fault and the cooling one matters more.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the brand and the refrigerator class, not one family or model line. Where a family-specific or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and it takes precedence over this one. Not here: part numbers, wiring colours and component locations, which differ by family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
