(doomed to) keep buying freezers that buzz / make loud noise and supposedly can't be returned.

cymruchris

chris_22 said:

Mnoee said:

Just checking you're leaving them to stand for 24hrs after delivery?

Thanks I left it on for a good while without taking the mick, about 2 to 3 days. The first one was well over the time but it is a good point, I may as well leave it longer.

The newest one seems to be getting a little quieter unless I'm imagining it, so we'll see if it settles down more and it could be related to that. 

Thanks for reading the whole post LOL. 

 

You didn't really answer the question here - did you leave the freezer unplugged in your kitchen turned off for 24 hours before switching it on for the very first time - or did you get the delivery - unwrap it and plug it in straight away?

Murphybear

We have a full size Miele fridge and freezer.  We’ve had them for years and, as others have said, although there is no such thing as a totally silent freezer ours are very quiet.  They were more expensive than a lot but so far they’ve been worth the extra.  

Sandtree

Murphybear said:

We have a full size Miele fridge and freezer.  We’ve had them for years and, as others have said, although there is no such thing as a totally silent freezer ours are very quiet.  They were more expensive than a lot but so far they’ve been worth the extra.  

Depending on who you believe Miele units, below their Mastercool sub-brand, are rebadged Liebherr. Last time I spoke to Miele they denied it and just said they buy a few of the body components from them but the parallels in looks is uncanny if its not the case. The Mastercool is all theirs but then you're talking £8k+

JJ_Egan

My Samsung freezer is relatively quiet no buzzing just normal freezer running noise .

BUT on first install did require levelling up to remove vibration .

RichardD1970

The comments about having overly sensitive hearing are perfectly valid. My daughter suffers from mysophonia and when it is bad she can't have people eating in the same room, it makes her irrationally aggressive towards the source and she has to remove herself from the situation.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-misophonia

https://www.webmd.com/brain/sound-sensitivity-hyperacusis

(and TBF some of your replies on here could be indicative of a potential issue)

JetpackVelociraptor

Speaking as someone who can hear a lot of high pitched frequencies, including mosquito alarms, just about every charger I've ever owned, and occasionally bats, sometimes you just have to learn to live with it. Everything I own makes some kind of annoying noise. The trick, for me, is to ignore it. You can't stop the noise, all you can control is your reaction to it. The alternative is to run around your home tracking down each and every annoying buzz, whine and whirr but all you'll end up doing is drawing your attention to the fact that the noise is there.  It can be easier sometimes to ignore something that you recognise, which is probably why your old freezer didn't seem to make as much noise.

If you're wondering why I'm talking about your hearing and not about the noisy freezer, it's because you mentioned that you've measured the sound at 37db. 40db is the equivalent sound of a quiet library, and is regarded as "soft". Most websites I've found talking about quiet freezers literally recommend looking for freezers in the 40db range! It doesn't matter if your home has such good sound insulation that a passing truck only makes 40db worth of noise, because your home is literally so quiet you could hear a pin drop.  By all means buy a quiet freezer, follow the set up instructions, make sure it has plenty of clear space around it, leave it 24-48 hours before turning it on, and try whatever sound insulation you can safely use around it, but you're probably still going to hear it. I would recommend contacting the manufacturers directly to ask for details of their quietest machines, maybe try an audio forum for advice on sound proofing around it, and maybe try talking to your GP or a ENT specialist to see if they have any advice on how to deal with it.

The only solution I found for it was to site the freezer as far away from my bedroom and living room as was physically possible.

The_Fat_Controller

Interesting thread.
As very few people are seriously disturbed by the average noise level from a domestic appliance it does appear that @chris_22 has a hearing or tolerance issue and will either have to learn to live with it or take mitigating steps as advised by @JetpackVelociraptor.

cymruchris

I should add if the OP ever comes back - I've also got a Miele under counter freezer and a Miele fridge freezer - I can barely hear a peep out of either. 

born_again

Our 20+ year old Hotpoint fridge/freezer is very quiet. It is free standing & the loudest noise it makes is when the water is dropping down the back into the catch tray....
God, I can hear that in the bedroom in the middle of the night, through 2 closed doors... 🤷‍♀️

theoretica

I am also sensitive to sounds, buzzes and whines and while I will tolerate some, if I must, I try to reduce them - and for instance close the kitchen door to keep the fridge sound to itself.  Last year I bought a new fridge freezer just because my old one was getting noisy (in an 'I'm thinking about failing after 27 years' way) and spent a lot of time looking at the noise ratings of different appliances.  Unfortunately one thing I discovered is that as well as the frost free ones having an additional noise, modern freezers tend to run for longer and are off for shorter times - the energy efficiency works out better than running stronger cooling for shorter periods.