h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I recently replaced my ancient fridge with a brand new, super efficient frost-free model, but I've been surprised by all the curious chirping and clicking noises it makes. A visitor told me that's quite normal these days. Is it?

Not to dismiss this very valid question
but my own conclusions in a recent purchase
was just a question of getting used to the
presence of a 'different' set of noises on
slightly different frequencies and cycles
than what I had become accustomed to.

I suspect there is likely less sound insulation
these days as a cost saving measure but one
might expect greater efficiencies that would
waste less energy creating useless noises.

I'm sure someone will enlighten us.



~jwf~

Yes. many manafold weird noises; not just 'differnt' frequencies, or anything; old fridge all you got was teh wirr of the compressor thinggy, a sort of quiet hum, at a given frequency, fairly constant, with a soemtimes 'juddering' on some peoples fridges; useually stuff on top of the fridge rattleing as the electrics cut in and out...

With the new fangled fridge/freezer, I have, it makes a whole series of strange noises, sort of churping sound, a sort of clicking type thing, and of course, the sound of a cow, in much pain, trapped deep within the dimensional recesses of the fridge/freezers transdimensional rift-space...

Actually its mainly the sounds of a trapped cow which confuse me
Sometimes, even, I hear the compressor/motor/whatever it is, ordinary 'hum' frequcency noise...

I believe, it is due to some method by which the fridge, probably involving transdimensional rifts, and a cow, moves water, collected within the space-rift of the fridges interior, and transmogrophys this liquid, into water, and moves it to the microbacterial microcosm, that is the little 'plate' of metal sitting on top of the bit at the back which generates warmth during ordinary fridge opperations; thereby evaporating this water, and creating the perfect microcosm, for the microbial colanies, which, are, quite possibly, themselves, responsible for various fridge related cow opperations.... I keep looking in myy fridge/freezer, to attempt to supprise the cow trapped inside, and finally meet her... I've called her Jane the cow... but every time I open the door, the cow isn't there...

Hmmm.. but does she leave the light on for you?


~jwf~

There are no cows in my fridge, maybe I should demand one be fitted? My favourite noise is the occasional loud crack which sounds like a box being whacked. Probably ice monkeys messing around.

Definitely more ex-cow in my fridge than ex-pig or ex-chicken.

My fridge sings to itself.

Pretty much what 2-legs said. 'Normal' fridge-freezers which you need to defrost don't make the noises, but all frost-free jobbies do make random clicks, squeaks and bangs.

Have you seen Ghostbuster?

Zuuuul.

My fridge beeps at us when we leave the door open.

But then our dishwasher and our washing machine also beep at us when they're done.

And the microwave makes a pinging noise obviously.


So if we get beeps from the kitchen there is an ever increasingly checklist of things that it may be. I think that soon the world is just going to start beeping generally. I wonder if this is what will alert our presence to the intelligentsia of the cosmos. Not a warp signature or landing on another planet - but a repeated detected by radiotelescopes on a distant planet...

Things do seem to be getting increasingly noisy. I think we've got used to this increasing noise, so we don't moan about it any more, but over the last few years we've all taken to carrying around small devices which bleep whenever any spam happens to show up in our mail.

That's a point. Have you any spam lurking in your fridge? It's difficult to finish a whole tin at one sitting.

There's no spam in my fridge. It must be fitted with a spam filter.

In my fridge I have...

Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam Spam

Baked beans

Spam egg and Spam


(someone had to do it)

I had to defrost the thing today, the frost-free ducting had frozen solid! I read that the air outlets must not be covered, so it might be due to overfillng the compartments, but still, it's not something you expect.

Frost-free fridges without iceboxes work by allowing the moisture to drip down into a special hole at the back where it is then heated by the motor and evaporates into the outside world. If you have the fridge set to very cold, the moisture may freeze before it has had a chance to drip, in which case the mechanism can freeze up.

Good tip! Must get a thermometer...

The freezer draw, at the top of the draws in the freezer section at the bototm, on ours keeps getting iced up... so many the movement of air (and thereby removal of water in teh air), isn't working anymore... somethign might be blocked (ice, I'd iamgine...) must try investigate at some point

Oh, and I've still never actually managed to see the cow trapped in the fridge... I can still hear it... but its never there when the door is opened

>>The freezer draw, at the top of the draws in the freezer section at the bototm, on ours keeps getting iced up.

That's what happened to ours. I had to unscrew and remove the plastic cowling at the back of the inside, where I found a huge ice block, which true to its name, was blocking the airways. When I turned the fridge back on, it wouldn't work; a phone call to the manufacturer revealed that there is a reset button for the motor, and after they'd tried to sell me extended warranty, to my surprise the thing decided to start working after all, without me touching it. Now that's what I call service!

Loved the description of the cow in the fridge!

My least favourite noise from my fridge freezer is definitely the aperiodic CRACK! that even after several years of surprising me can still make me jump

No cows in my fridge, but I do seem to have a massive bumblebee in there every now and then...