How to Make a Refrigerator Quieter, Reduce Fridge Noise

How to make a refrigerator quieter?
The compressor in a refrigerator can produce from time to time a whirring or humming noise. This noise can be amplified when a refrigerator is built in some kitchen furniture and between the wall and the fridge. Sooner or later this fridge noise finds its way through the kitchen and into the living room and perhaps even adjacent rooms.

Sound Insulation for Refrigerator noise
A Freezer, refrigerator or wine coolers can produce impact noise and airborne noise. Impact noise are vibrations that become audible as buzzing or humming sound. Airborne noise are sound waves travelling by air, in principle this goes away when you close the kitchen door (if you have a door, and one that closes well). Let's start by the insulation of impact noise of the refrigerator.

Insulation of impact noise refrigerator
The solution to resolve impact noise (vibrations) from a built-in refrigerator is to place the refrigerator on 'feet' made of vibration insulation. In most cases Regufoam D300 can be used in order to isolate the refrigerator from its foundation, furniture or floor. Depending on the weight and size of the fridge, and available space in the furniture, Regufoam D300 - 25 mm is preferred. Cut one sheet of this type of Regufoam in to 8 equal pieces, about 120 x 120 mm. Use a sheet of plywood and place underneath each corner of this plywood sheet, and in the middle, a piece of Regufoam.

Make sure this plywood sheet does not touch the kitchen walls or the furniture! This will absolutely result in a failed solution. Now place the refrigerator on top of the plywood sheet and double check if the sheet is loose from any walls or doors. The plywood sheet should distribute the weight evenly, so the decoupling is optimised and the refrigerator is 'floating' and stable.

Insulating airborne noise refrigerator
You can reduce airborne noise by equipping the wall behind the fridge, or the furniture panel, with a sound insulation, such as Acousticcell PU or Flamex Basic. Acousticcell is a self-adhesive sound insulation foam with an oil- and moisture-proof protective top layer, and can be cleaned with a damp cloth. Flamex Basic has better fire-resistant properties. Make sure that there is sufficient space between a sound insulation and the refrigerator, freezer or wine cooler, sound insulation products can insulate some heat!

By applying Isomat TS against the walls of the furniture, you can soundproof furniture panels. Isomat makes the furniture panels much heavier and isolates vibrations. Isomat is glued to the furniture with contact glue. To see whether Isomat is necessary try this: push firmly against the furniture panels when the refrigerator turns on. If the resonance decreases while pushing, it is recommended to equip the furniture with Isomat TS, 14 kg/m².

Guide on Step-by-step plan
On our tips page you will find the step-by-step plan "Making your refrigerator quieter".

Products to insulate and reduce refrigerator noise