Noise Reduction For Commercial Beverage Fridge

[kgranger]

Just bought a used True beverage fridge for the basement brewery, and as I expected, the vibration humming is pretty loud. Any tips out there for noise reduction in these kind of commercial fridges? I've read a few things about adding rubber gaskets to the feet of the compressor, and potentially replacing certain parts that are old and noisy. I'm pretty handy when given good direction, so I am not afraid to open it up and get in there for some repairing.

 

[Chaosbourne]

I bought a Perlick 2 door direct draw kegerator and am having the same issues. I'm going to try using dampeners on the compressor to get that down. However I did notice noise coming from the cooling coil fans internally. I replaced those junky things with did ultra quiet fans made for server rooms or computers. They made it super quiet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004YTSB7C/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_inactive_ship_o1_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
But when that compressor kicks on..... yeah let me know if you solve that problem.

 

[mashpaddled]

I'd suggest opening up anywhere you can that has electrical components and give it a thorough vacuuming and do the same with the coils. That won't stop the compressor from vibrating but it will help the compressor run less often and for shorter periods of time because it's venting heat more effectively. If that thing has been at work in a commercial setting it may be stocked up with dust/lint/hair/goop. The vents on the front of that True beverage fridge look really dirty and I would assume the inside is as bad or worse.

If you're opening behind the vents it might be worthwhile to check any securing screws and bolts to make sure they are hand tight. It's possible with years of use the compressor or another part is slightly loose and causing excessive vibration.

 

[kgranger]

I did a good cleaning of the compressor area, vent, fan, coils, etc. It was pretty gross in there. Made sure everything is nice and tight. I noticed the sled the compressor assembly sits on was shifting forward from vibrations, so I drove a rubber washer and screw in front of it to hold it in place. I even replaced the evaporator fan in the ceiling of the interior, as it was making a lot of the vibration, but it didn’t make a difference. Unfortunately this fan runs permanently, and not just when the compressor kicks on. Not sure if there’s a way to re-wire otherwise. Definitely still loud, but I think that’s the best I’ll get. I am currently framing out an alcove around the fridge, as I am already re-tiling and drywalling the brew area it is going in. Bought some acoustic foam panels I’ll stick to the interior of the alcove. Looked up the spec sheet of this particular fridge and it looks like the only ventilation it needs is a few inches on the rear, so I think I’ll be ok with heat. I’ll monitor it and adjust as needed. I also didn’t take in to consideration that the compressor will kick on a lot more often when empty, as there is nothing to retain the cold temps.

 

[MaxStout]

Did you put some kind of damping material under the unit's feet? Maybe some of that vibration is being transmitted through the floor.

 

[kgranger]

Did you put some kind of damping material under the unit's feet? Maybe some of that vibration is being transmitted through the floor.

Tried that, no luck. I got some rubber feet typically used under washing machines to reduce vibration, and it didn’t make a difference at all. Really just a loud, old compressor I’m thinking.