yes its 85 degrees here in seattle! |
Digsmithd,
Is your fridge running? |
"We" got a new dishwasher that is not only much quieter (like 20db), but has a 4 hour delay feature.
As an added benefit, the household goodwill generated by the new DW allowed my recent audio purchase to pass without comment. |
Oh yeah, this has been an ongoing problem for me as well since my listening room opens into the kitchen. I previously did the turn off routine, that ended when I forgot to turn back on too many times. I usually turn down the thermostats so the fridge doesn't run as much. My latest attempt to reduce noise was to place RPG Pro Foams between the fridge and wall (fridge fits into a small alcove), and above the fridge where it juts into cabinets. This has made things bearable, still, a newer quieter fridge is probably in the cards. |
Just be glad you dont have the model that turns on the stereo when you open the door like L&H had..... |
I have an Amana. The "standard procedure" is to reach inside and turn the temp knob to off. THEN I place something on the floor, right in front of the door, as a reminder. ......Peace...... |
FWIW, Consumer Reports newest evaluation of refridgerators rates models on noise level. |
Another possibility is to use a refrigerator that burns gas or kerosene. I'm not sure how these work, but my best understanding is that at least one design has no moving parts, thus it should create little noise. A place named Oasis Montana (www.oasismontana.com) sells refrigerators like this. One model is apparently quite popular with the Amish. Another company, Servel, is one that's been around, I think, for years--I remember seeing an ad in an old magazine from the forties with the housewife saying how unhappy she was with her old refrigerator which got noisier with every passing day. And then she found Servel, and her worries were over. (Maybe she was an audiophile, and found the noise from the old GE Monitor top drowned out the Philco console.) |
We purchased a new frige. 4 years ago. It was very quiet for a long time but I have noticed cantankerous noises and what seemed like a longer run time in the past 6 months. This thread reminded me it has been 2 years since I cleaned the business end of the family frige.
I finally yanked the plug, rolled the frige out from the wall and cleaned the condenser coils with a long bottle brush and vacuum. The coils are under the frige, access was from the front and rear. Lots of crawling and dust but well worth it. I gently cleaned the dirty condenser fan blade too- don't bent those blades! I'm now moving much more air across the condenser coils and the best part? That Maytag now runs half the time it did and no longer draws attention to itself. Give it a try and wear those ear plugs when using that vacuum. 2 channel for all... |
Plug an AudioPrism Quietline filter into the same outlet that the fridge is plugged into and forget about it. Do the same with other noisy appliances that use standard voltages/current like the washing machine, dehumidifier, fluorescent lights, etc.
Enjoy,
Bob |
Relax. Y'all didn't marry someone from the Mid-West. They have to have something mechanical going all the time, even when sleeping.
Especially that Friggin Fan! |
That lg sounds like my kind of fridge,unfortunatly this fits kitchen(whirlpool)wide.Ohwell.Cant tell you how many times i forgot to turn fridge back on over the years,ha.Happy listening. |
Just easier for me to flip the breaker. Also, Jbello, be careful with the carpet or felt idea...if placed too close to the cooling coils, your electricity bill or even your refrigerator could suffer! |
What is the deal with unplugging fridges and flipping breakers? The only two fridges I have had in the last couple of decades both had an on/off switch built into the temperature control.
For those who forget to turn the fridge back on maybe some kind of code using a fridge magnet could be used. Put it right next to or under the handle when the fridge is off then move it when the fridge is on. |
Some carpet or felt on the wall behind the fridge helps some |
The new refridgerators are noiser than the old ones. As mentioned by Peterd the new LG's are quite quiet. |
My refrigerator is pretty noisy too. If it bugs me too much I just unplug it. It seems even louder during the summer months when the room temperature is a bit higher. |
Mine has more effect on my waistline. |
The stereo room has an open wall to the kitchen. The fridge is 20' away. I wish it were 200'. Planning to erect a glass wall with a glass pocket door to alleviate the noise. To afraid to turn the fridge breaker off since I may forget to turn it back on. |
I like this. Friends co workers, and relatives just dont get it. Where I use to live I had a dedicated room. Next to it was the kitchen. The fridge was on the opposite wall. It was as far from the sound room as possible and I could still hear it. The furnace was a problem electrically and wind noise.Both were shut off when I listened to music. Thanks for bringing this up digsmithd. Neat to see there are others out there that get irritated with the same things I do when it comes to listening to music. I have since built a house. the sound room is in the basement but the walls and cieling will have to be disconnected from the floor truss because of the foot step noise from up stairs. Once that is done I think I will have a very quite room.This winter I plan on putting my room and system on Audiogon and share what I did and learned. A quite room is important to me whether I'm listening or not. I agree with the outside noise also. Lawn mowers, snowblowers, car radios wind chimes and more. I'm pulling for you were all in this together. |
quite (low db level) appliances so what brands did you finally deside on? |
I just went through the same thing. Researched as much as possible --bought a model that was touted as "quiet." NOT. I also have to turn off the pilot light in my gas fireplace because of the hiss. And then there's always the incessant scream of leafblowers and hedge trimmers. I dream of large acreage in Montana. Good luck in your search for quiet. |
I have an open concept living area so my kitchen is pretty much open and to the side of my stereo room. I just replaced my old noisey fridge and dishwasher with very quiet models. I was looking specifically for quite (low db level) appliances. Makes a huge difference. Can't hear a thing when the music is playing. |
Fortunately, my 'fridge doesn't contribute to the line noise, as I'm using very good power cords and conditioners. But for critical nighttime listening, I can hear the audible compressor hum [I live in a small place!], so that gets tuned off, via the breaker box. I also have to shut down the A/C...not too comfortable in the summer desert heat, especially when running a pair of Class A biased tube monoblocks...used in a near-field listening set-up! |
Your fridge draws a lot of amps and adds noise to the house line which can be heard through your stereo system. Just another reason to get dedicated lines to your system. |
Got so mad at mine I would unplug it.Drove me nuts!Not so nice when I forgot to plug it back in a few times.
So I bought the quietest one I could find an 'LG'.
Fours years old and still can't tell whether its on or off.
Silence is Bliss !
Still can't figure out how to quiet down the cats.
Uh,oh,I'll be sure to get some response about the cats.
Cheers,Peter |
I have a 72 avacado color refridge.[Almost NOS]Totally quiet and very cold.Never hear it 8 ft away from listening position,Don't hear it when in the Kitchen either.They just don't make'em like they used to.JD |
Hah, what a coincidence. Was listening to Ella this morning and had enough, Grabbed the Sharpie, marked the breaker and off it went. Ahhh, Bliss! |
