A knock doesn’t just happen when someone bashes your front door. It can also occur on your LG refrigerator, and you’ve to wonder why. Personally, I have to check a few issues when my LG refrigerator is making a knocking noise.
If the knock is only brief, it’s likely a normal event such as refrigerant circulation or thermal expansion. But if it’s continuous, it could be due to a lack of clearance, an obstructed or faulty evaporator or condenser fan, dirty coils, a jammed icemaker, water hammering, or a bad compressor.
So, your job is to distinguish between a ‘normal-operation knock’ and one that indicates a fault, and I’ll help you do that. Overall, there is nothing to do regarding a typical fridge knock, as it’s short-lived. Sometimes you wouldn’t even realize that the fridge is making the sound.
Therefore, we’ll concentrate more on fixing the continuous knock sound that won’t just stop and infuriates you. But first, let’s briefly discuss what causes the normal-operation fridge knock.
In a rush? Below are the various issues that could cause your fridge to make a continuous knock and their fixes.
Quick Troubleshooting Guide for the LG Refrigerator Knocking Sound
| Likely Reason | Quick Fix | |
| 1. | Lack Of Clearance | Move the fridge a few inches away from the wall or cabinets to avoid rubbing against them |
| 2. | Obstructed Evaporator Fan | Defrost the evaporator fan by leaving the fridge door open and if it’s dirt-clogged, wipe off the dirt |
| 3. | Defective Evaporator Fan | Replace the evaporator fan if the blade is damaged or the motor is noisy, lacks continuity, or won’t run |
| 4. | Obstructed Condenser Fan | Clean off dirt clogs from the condenser fan |
| 5. | Defective Condenser Fan | Replace the condenser fan if its blade is damaged or the fan won’t spin by hand |
| 6. | Filthy Condenser Coils | Clean the condenser coils if they are filthy |
| 7. | Jammed Ice Maker | Unplug the fridge to defrost the ice maker and clean off the ice |
| 8. | Water Hammering | Call a Professional |
| 9. | Bad Compressor | Replace the compressor |
Why My LG Refrigerator Is Making a Knocking Noise
Typical LG Refrigerator Knocking Sound
Not all LG refrigerator noises are bad or indicate a malfunction. Some noises, especially if they are only brief, are expected.
For example, your fridge will produce a brief knocking sound as the refrigerant circulates. That could happen so often as the fridge’s operation depends on the refrigerant’s circulation.
However, this knock shouldn’t be lasting or disturbing. You won’t even notice the bash, as it’s typically low-volume.
A low-volume knock could also result from the normal thermal expansion of the fridge’s plastic parts. The plastic parts will expand and cool involuntarily and may produce anything from a popping up to a knocking sound.
Just like in the first case, the thermal expansion knock should be brief and almost unnoticeable and could occur several times during the day. But once it becomes continuous, you must watch out for any of the issues shared next.
Abnormal LG Refrigerator Knocking Noise
If the knocking fridge noise is continuous and probably louder, that’s not normal. Something must be malfunctioning, and the issues to check include the following:
- Lack of clearance (the fridge is too close to the wall or cabinets) – If the appliance touches the wall or cabinets, it’ll rub against them and produce a knocking sound.
- Obstructed evaporator fan – The evaporator fan sometimes accumulates ice around the blade, preventing the blade from spinning. Once the spinning blade hits the ice mass, it may make a knocking noise when the door is closed.
- Defective evaporator fan – The evaporator fan may also produce a knocking sound if its blade is bent, as it’ll hit against the back of the fridge. Moreover, the evaporator fan will make some noise if the fan motor is defective.
- Obstructed condenser fan – Dirt is the leading cause of obstruction when it comes to the condenser fan. It prevents the condenser fan from running smoothly, thus causing the knocking sound.
- Defective condenser fan – The condenser fan may also produce a knocking sound if its blade is bent or its motor is faulty (it won’t run properly).
- Dirty condenser coils – Sometimes, the issue results from the condenser coils being too filthy. In such a case, they cannot promote cooling and instead will cause the condenser fan to make some noise.
Other Causes
- Jammed ice maker – The ice maker could also accumulate excess ice to prevent it from running. And since it’ll struggle to run, it’s likely to make some noise.
- Water hammering – A water hammer happens when water is compelled to switch its flowing direction in the waterline, the valve opens and shuts at high pressure, or a malfunction when dispensing water. In most cases, a water hammer presents itself as a knocking sound.
- Failed compressor – if you still cannot find the reason for the fridge knocking sound, it’s likely to be a bad compressor. If the compressor is not running correctly, it’ll fail to redistribute cold air as it should, and the effect will be a knocking sound or any other sound.
Let’s now see how you can fix the above issues next:
How to Fix Refrigerator Knocking Noise?
Since you know the likely reasons for your refrigerator’s knocking sound, let’s see how you can troubleshoot them. Assuming that it’s not a typical knocking sound, consider these fixing steps:
Step 1 – Ensure Your Refrigerator Has Enough Clearance
Ensure your LG refrigerator is not too close to the walls or cabinets. It’ll rub against them and produce a weird sound if it is.
You need to push the fridge a few inches away from such contacts to stop the knocking sound.
Step 2 – Inspect the Evaporator Fan for Obstruction
The evaporator fan, whose job is to circulate the cold air in the fridge, shouldn’t be obstructed by dirt or ice. The latter(however) is the most typical reason for the knocking sound.
If the evaporator fan, in particular, is dirty, clean it with a soft brush. But if it’s ice-clogged, you defrost the fridge by leaving its door open for a couple of hours.
That means you must unplug the refrigerator and unscrew the back panel to perform this step, and if in case of a defrosting, you may need to empty the fridge.
Step 3 – Check the Evaporator Fan for Damage
The evaporator fan, especially the fan blade, may not be ice-clogged but could be bent. So, you’ve to inspect it. You can combine this step with the second one.
The other component to inspect is the fan motor. If it won’t spin 360 degrees when you try turning it by hand or is generally noisy, that confirms it’s faulty. You can also check its continuity to determine if it’s working (has continuity).
Replace the evaporator fan if the fan blade or motor is faulty.
Step 4 – Examine the Condenser Fan for Dirt Obstruction
Unlike the evaporator fan, which is more susceptible to ice obstruction, the condenser fan is more vulnerable to dirt obstruction. And once that happens, it’s unable to run smoothly and will thus make some noise.
So, inspect it for dirt obstruction. If it looks dirty, clean it, preferably with a soft brush.
Remember to unplug the fridge when opening the back panel to access the fans. So, this step should be a continuation of the preceding one.
Step 5 – Inspect the Condenser Fan for Damage
Inspect the condenser fan just like the evaporator fan (in step 3) for damage. That means you should look at the fan blade to see if it’s bent and try to manually spin the motor to see if it turns 360 degrees.
If the fan blade or fan motor is faulty, you should replace the condenser fan.
Step 6 – Clean the Condenser Coils
If nothing is wrong with the condenser fan, don’t put the back panel back yet. Take the opportunity to inspect the condenser coils and clean them if you find them dirty.
Step 7 – Check the Ice Maker for Ice-Jamming
The fans are not the only things that could get obstructed and trigger the knocking sound. The same could happen if the ice maker jams up with ice.
In such a case, you should unplug the appliance to defrost the ice maker and once it defrosts, clean it properly before replugging the unit.
Step 8 – Call a Pro to Fix a Water Hammer
If you still can’t stop the knocking noise, call LG or a local fridge professional to inspect the refrigerator for possible water hammering (explained earlier).
Step 9 – Check the Compressor
You also need the pro’s help to see if the compressor is the issue. If it is, then the best option is to replace the refrigerator. Why? Because replacing the compressor is expensive. It makes more sense to buy a new fridge than replace it.
Brand New Refrigerator Makes Knocking Noise
Not all discussed issues apply to a brand-new refrigerator making a knocking sound. The issues to consider when a brand-new fridge makes noise include the following:
- Lack of clearance (fridge being too close to the wall)
- Ice-obstructed evaporator fan
- Dirt-clogged condenser fan
- Dirty condenser coils
- Jammed ice maker
Refer to the earlier shared fixes when dealing with the above issues.
LG Refrigerator Ice Maker Knocking Noise
Sometimes the knocking noise could originate from the ice maker, and as shared, the ice maker could be ice-jammed, thus struggling to make ice. If so, you need to unplug the appliance to allow the ice maker to defrost and clean it thoroughly.
But still, ensure that the fridge is not too close to the wall as that could also cause the ice maker to make some noise. And if the fridge is unstable, move it to a more stable surface to prevent floor vibrations.
Concluding Thoughts on Why My LG Refrigerator Is Making a Knocking Noise:
As shared, several issues could contribute to the LG refrigerator knocking sound. Pay attention to the continuous knock whose causes include insufficient clearance, obstructed or defective fan, dirty condenser coils, jammed ice maker, water hammering, and a nonworking ice maker. And once you find out the cause, use the above troubleshooting guide to fix it.
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