I have had this fridge for 1 year. This fridge operated very quietly until about the 5th month when I began hearing a humming sound coming from the fridge. The noise seems to have something to do with the freezer. When I turn up the temperature from 0F (recommended) to 5F, freezer cycles off and the sound is gone. Also, when I turn off power to the whole fridge or unplug, the humming noise is gone. However, when I turn up fridge temp, the sound is still there. Therefore, I came to the conclusion this sound has something to do with the freezer. I just don't know whether it is motor or compressor (don't know much about fridge mechanics).

The sound is not deafening, but you can hear it everywhere in our apt (except for bedrooms when doors are closed - apt is 1400 sq.feet). When TV is on from volume level 10 and up (Panasonic 27" tube tv), can't hear the sound. The freezer and fridge all work fine. It's just the noise that is annoying and when I'm stressed, very bothersome. Sound can be compared to a monk doing his "um's" constantly (hummmmm....). Only when freezer cycles off do I get reprieve.

We do have another fridge (Kenmore side-by-side - 15 years old). It does make noises, but nothing annoying. And you don't hear kenmore's noises outside kitchen.

Why is the fridge making this sound? Is this typical for kitchenaid? The product description said "whisper quiet operation." Is there something wrong? If not, am I being too sensitive?

Probobly just something vibrating. Of course it could be a fan motor or something, but Id check for the vibrations first. Id pull it out and start to feel around for the noise.

My boss ordered a condenser fan motor for a reach in one day, told me to install it because it was making a weird noise. I changed the fan motor (I did sound like a fan motor getting ready to go out) but the noise continued. Turned out to be the compressor vibrating on the platform it was attached to, I remidied this by placing a small piece of metal between it. Stopped the noise.

Andrewcocke, thanks for your reply. I opened up the back panel and checked for the vibrations. I couldn't believe the dust that accumulated inside. Anyway, there are some vibrations around the compressor area and there is also the fan noise, but these sounds weren't the noises that bothered me. I couldn't isolate where the humming noise was coming from.

I unplugged the fridge and vacuumed inside - fan blades, compressor, coils, tubes, wires and the surrounding area. Replaced the back panel, plugged the fridge and when it came back on, no humming sound. It has been 5 hours since I cleaned and still no annoying humming sound - just the normal fridge noise that I heard when I first got the fridge. The normal operational noise is very quiet - like the manual says. Very happy.

Although it wasn't the vibrations, your suggestion got me to open the panel and clean inside. So thank you for taking the time to answer my query.

If the noise comes back, I'll vacuum again and see what happens. Maybe dust accumulation causes something to work harder and therefore produces that annoying sound.