What Causes the ‘Hum’ of a Refrigerator?

Your refrigerator makes a hum because it has a special motor inside that turns on and off to keep your food cold. When the motor is running, it vibrates, like when you shake a drum, which creates sound. That’s why you hear that low hum all the time.

Take the quiz →

Examples

Your refrigerator hums like a cat purring when it's working hard to keep your milk cold.
You can hear the hum from across the room, especially on quiet nights.
The hum is louder when you open the fridge door and take out all the food.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Physics · sound,vibration,refrigeration,acoustics