Sears Bottom Freezer Refrigerator - Loud humming noise

Does that unit have a low temperature monitor built in? Maybe that is what is making the noise when your temps dip to -10 degrees. Actually, that is great because the lower the temps the longer you can keep food in the freezer so I would not be overly concerned about that aspect. BTW, have you tried to isolate the source of the humming noise?

HI,

Noise can come from these areas:

The inside of the freezer
The outside back of the refrigerator
The bottom of the refrigerator
The inside of the freezer Self-defrosting refrigerators use a circulating fan to move the air through the freezer and refrigerator compartments. This fan runs whenever the unit is cooling. The fan is located in the freezer, as follows:

• If the freezer is on top, the fan is on the back wall, near the top or bottom, in the center of the freezer.



• If the freezer is on the bottom, the fan is on the back wall, near the top of the freezer.



• If the freezer is on the left, the fan is on the back wall, halfway up or near the top.

Over time, the fan may become noisy--usually making a chirping or squealing sound, though it may make a loud groaning noise instead.

To find out if the fan is causing the noise, just open the freezer door and push in any fan/light switches. If the noise is louder when the door is open, the evaporator fan motor is the cause. You can't lubricate or repair this motor. You must replace it.

The outside back of the refrigerator There are three components on the outside back of the refrigerator that may become noisy: the compressor, the condenser fan motor (if self-defrosting), or the defrost timer (if self-defrosting).

• The compressor is a football-sized case with no apparent moving parts. You can see it on the outside of the refrigerator at the back near the bottom. It is usually black and has black or copper-colored tubes and various colored wires attached to it. If the compressor is the device making noise, there is probably no repair that will reduce the noise. You will have to replace it--which can be quite costly.



• If the condenser fan is making noise, there may be a build-up of lint or other debris on the fan blade. The fan is located near the back of the machine, sometimes behind a thin panel. To clean it, first unplug the refrigerator, remove the thin panel, and use a soft bristle brush to clean it. If there is no lint build-up or debris on the blade, you will have to replace the motor.



• The defrost timer is often located at the bottom of the refrigerator, near the front and behind the kick plate. Occasionally the electric motor inside the timer may become noisy. The timer must be replaced to solve this problem.

The bottom of the refrigerator Noises detected at the bottom of the refrigerator almost always originate from the back of the refrigerator. However, sometimes the drain pan under the refrigerator will rattle. You may need to tape the pan in place to stop a rattle. Also see the “Outside back of the refrigerator.”

Unless it is abnormally loud, it is the compressor.

have u cleaned the coils and fan blades on the motor??

Good day,
The most common reason for noise is the fan motor in the freezer compartment.
Remove the screws from the rear panel in the freezer compartment and inspect the fan motor. Replacing it is a fairly easy nuts and bolts procedure. The motor should be available at most appliance parts houses.
kenmore is a trade name for Sears appliances. It was made by either Whirlpool or Frigidaire.

Remove the back panel and see if the fan is turning. You will need it in the running cycle with the door switch closed. The noise your hearing is probally the fan assembly AP4008960. Make sure it is mounted tight and the back panel is not rubbing or loose. If the fan is making noise with the panel removed replace.

Can you describe the noises? If it is a compressor, you cannot change it yourself and it would probably cost close to $250 to do the job anyways.

check for bad relay

Turned refrigerator off for 8 hours, let the frost melt and the fan in the freezer worked again. The compressor now only has a soft clunk when it goes off.

Loud hum could also be from the air circulating fan in the freezer compartment.