New Samsung refrigerator too noisy. Please help pick replacement.

11 years ago

I just purchased a sxs Samsung RS261MDRS and it makes a humming sound that I can hear and feel it vibrating on the other side of my house. I called Brandsmart cs once I noticed the hum and they quickly replaced it with the same model. I thought it was defective. It's been less than 24 hours and this one is doing it too. Is this normal with new fridges?

The samsung replaced a 13 year old whirlpool sxs that still works fine and never made this kind of noise. My kitchen is open floor plan and open to the family room. The fridge sits inside a cut-out in the wall, so it looks built-in. I feel like the cut-out acts as an amplifier and disperses the vibration and hum through out my entire house.
I even measured the sound and it's coming between 48-50 dB when the compressor is running (seems like all the time), compared to 35-36dB of ambient sound.

It's driving me crazy! I know that it's going back, I just don't know what to replace it with. Any suggestions?

Featured Answer

dadoes

11 years ago

You say the previous Whirlpool unit is not having any problems ... so why did you buy a new one? Maybe put the Whirlpool back into use.

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Comments (10)

User
11 years ago
Newer fridges with inverter compressors make a different sort of noise, some don't like it or find it louder. That said it certainly isn't normal to feel it vibrating on the other side of your house.
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Angelcheex
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, hvtech42. How can I know if a fridge has an inverter compressor?

I forgot to mention that I'm remodeling the kitchen and my beige 13 year old whirlpool is moving to the garage.
dodge59
11 years ago
Well, the correct name for the compressor is either a "Linear Compressor" or a "Variable Speed Compressor".

Most fridges with the "Variable speed Compressors" do not make noise. My 2006 Jenn-air fridge is absolutely silent and it is very difficult to determine if the compressor is running or not~~~something that became a bit of a "Pita", when I started to see wild temp fluctuations in the freezer temp~~~~was the comp[ressor running or not???
Fortunately, I found a very competent sevice company and they fixed the temp gyrations.

Also in the training manual for some of the fridges with the variable speed compressors, they warn the "trainees" in these classes that they will have to use their voltmeters to tell if the compressor is running , as they won't be able to hear the compressors!

I'm not sure that a linear compressor is exactly the same thing, as a "Variable speed compressor."
I would have to do more research. I believe I read that Samsung does use a linear compressor, whilst Whirlpool uses what they call the variable speed compressors.

There are of course always exceptions!
One or 2 ppl complained about a "wah wah" sound on a Liebherr, which does use one of the newer style compressors, and I think there "May have been" a "Whine" or two about some fridges that used the variable speed compressors~~~but~~~~~those are exceptions to the rule as I mentioned.

Gary
jellytoast
11 years ago
Your's hums, mine rings! Talk about maddening!! Problem with switching refrigerators is they will likely all make some sort of noise, and who's to say if the next one won't make an even more annoying sound? It is also likely that identical refrigerators will not make identical sounds (I've witnessed this first hand). And, as dodge59 points out, some supposedly "silent" models will "whine" or go "wah-wah" ... neither of which sounds appealing at all. As for the vibration you are experiencing ... something is off there.

You have my sympathies. I am very sensitive to noise as well.
User
11 years ago
Angel,
I know what you mean about noises bothering you.
I bought a Whirlpool 4 years ago.
LOVE it!
It's nice and quiet.
Get another Whirlpool.
User
11 years ago
>Well, the correct name for the compressor is either a "Linear Compressor" or a "Variable Speed Compressor".

Inverter, variable speed, whatever. All variable speed compressors used in refrigerators are inverter compressors so neither term is more "correct" than the other. There are linear inverter compressors but those are only used by LG. This being a Samsung, it would have a rotary compressor like most fridges on the market.

>Thanks, hvtech42. How can I know if a fridge has an inverter compressor?

Most higher end fridges do have inverter compressors, so I'm sure that's what this Samsung has. However you may find a different make has a less annoying sound to you because of other design differences.

Avoiding inverter/variable speed compressors is pretty tough, they are ubiquitous nowadays because of their lower energy use. My GE has one, I'm not bothered by the sound. The big con to these compressors is that they add another expensive control board that can fail and complicates the troubleshooting and repair process. They are known to some in the service industry as "perverter" compressors, LOL.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Sat, Sep 13, 14 at 13:06
weedmeister
11 years ago
IIRC, noise is one of the things CR was critical about concerning Samsung fridges, along with power usage.
Angelcheex
Original Author
11 years ago
Does anyone know if this is any better?

LG LSC27925ST
gigelus2k13
11 years ago
@hvtech: the term "inverter", be it used for a MW, a fridge or an AirCon system, simply means that the motor in the unit is of DC brushless type, not the traditional AC kind.

The BL motor system is more efficient and its RPM can be easily modified (the "variable speed" thing) but it needs complex driving circuitry (usually a uC and power transistors); this is an additional point of failure, thus the overall reliability is degraded.