My GE Model GSL25XGWA SS is 3 years old. For the last month or two it makes an unusual whirring (variable pitch) noise when it is running. It seems to be coming from the freezer side, perhaps the ice maker. (The ice maker sometimes overfills and has to be emptied out.) Any suggestions for fixing the whirring noise problems?

Hi davidrothe,

There are some things that you can check to address the issue with the icemaker that overflows:

1. Gears - The first thing you should check are the gears on the front of the icemaker. To access these gears; remove the front cover off the icemaker.Once the cover is off, inspect the gears and if any of the teeth are missing they are bad and needs replacing. Also check to see if the small gear has slid forward enough to miss the big gear. If so, put a small drop of lock tight on the shaft and push the gear back on.

2. Fill tube - The next thing you should do is look at the fill tube to see if it is clogged with ice. If it is clogged with ice, pull it out the back of the refrigerator and clean all the ice out with hot water. The water valve causes this problem so replace the water valve or it will happen again.

3. Sometimes water will enter the icemaker too fast causing the first cube-mold to overfill before the water gets a chance to run to the other cube-molds. To fix this problem remove the cube separator and run a bead of RTV (silicone) at the top of the first cube mold. Then reinstall the cube separator and the problem should be fixed. Note that if this is the problem it will only be a small leak; a few drop of water per cycle. If you are getting lots of water overflowing the water valve is bad and needs replacing.

The most common problem with noisy refrigerators is the fans. First, where is the noise coming from? If it's coming from the freezer then it's probably the evaporator fan motor. Take the evaporator cover (in back or bottom of freezer) off. Once it's off you should be able to see the fan and confirm that it's noisy. (Note that in some refrigerators the fan cuts off when you open the door so depress door switch for this test). If the fan is noisy replace it. If its not the fan and the noise is coming from the freezer, then it might be normal. At times there will be a groaning noise coming from the freezer. This is when the compressor has just cut off.

Hope it helps.

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