Answers · sound
Which Sub-Zero sounds are normal
Most of what a Sub-Zero says is routine. The useful skill is knowing which part is speaking. Here are the sounds of a working unit, the sounds of wear, and the reason so many Broomfield kitchens hear every one of them.
Sounds of a working unit
- Steady whoosh behind the freezer panelNormal
The evaporator fan pushing air over the coil. It stops when the freezer door opens, which is how you know it is the fan.
- One click, then a low humNormal
A relay starting the compressor, and the compressor running. One click per start is right.
- Sizzling, popping or tickingNormal
Defrost: a heater warms the coil, meltwater sizzles on it, and the plastic liner ticks as it warms and cools.
- A few seconds of buzz, then running waterNormal
The ice maker filling. Later the cubes drop into the bin with a clatter.
Sounds of wear
- Scraping or grinding inside the freezerCall us
- A whine that stops when the door opensCall us
- Clicks every few minutes, no cooling after themCall us
A hum that never stops while the food slowly warms belongs on this list as well.
Why Broomfield kitchens hear all of it
Between 2010 to 2020, Broomfield grew faster than any other Colorado county: 32.6%, to 74,112 residents. The city and county's own housing study counts 18,105 more people from 2011 to 2021, a rise of 33%. A large part of that growth moved into houses built for it, and recent houses tend to open the kitchen straight into the family room.
The refrigerator did not get louder; the room around it changed. Behind the wall of an older, closed kitchen a fan's whoosh goes unheard. In an open room it reaches the sofa, and late at night it can be the loudest thing in the house. That is why SubZero Repair Broomfield starts on the phone: describe the sound, and if it is on the normal list, we say so and nothing gets booked.
Sources for the figures:
Two more questions
- Why does it seem louder after dark?
- Mostly because everything else has stopped. Once the dishwasher, the television and the traffic go quiet, the fan and compressor have the room to themselves. A sound that is truly new, or has changed pitch, is another matter: note when it happens and whether opening the door changes it, then ring us.
- Can I make the normal sounds quieter?
- A little. Keep the grille clean and clear so the compressor runs shorter cycles, and make sure no bottle or bag leans on the freezer back panel, where it can pick up the fan’s vibration. Beyond that, the sounds of a working built-in are part of how it is made.