It's normal for a small U-Line fridge to be pretty loud.

You can use dampening materials, but not too closely because you still need to vent heat. Unfortunately (I'm not trying to be flip here) the real way to get quieter is to pay many times as much and get Perlick.

It's the 1 appliance we didn't research. Our appliance rep said uline is top of the line. Regular price is around $3k for this tiny fridge. I thought we wouldn't have to worry about it. Boo :(

I can't return it because it's open box. I wonder once it is in its space if it'll quiet down. I might have warranty come take a look at it. I have a year warranty according to the place I purchased it from.

I tried looking for other brands but nothing really made in 18" wide that I need. The cabinet opening is only 21.5"

Smm5525,

Most of the fridges are 15" unfortunately from True and Perlick. All the other undercounter fridges I could find were 24".

Let the fridge run for more than 24 hours and see if that changes the noise that you hear.

I heard it this morning as I was walking downstairs. I'm hoping it'll quiet down once in place. I can't imagine people shelling out $3000 for this loud tiny fridge!

Sorry, my mistake. I'm more familiar with U-Line's more modest products. For that price, you're right, it should be reasonably quiet. Is it echoing or resonating? Try pulling it out from under the counter, and putting it on a low pile carpet sample or a moving blanket or something. That is, dense fabric, but not wiggly/tippy or fluffy enough to affect air flow. That should tell you whether it's the place it's sitting that's the problem. That can possibly be fixed. You can also try draping more of the same around the sides and top of the box, being careful to leave the works and the door clear and see if some muffling helps.

Good luck with it.

Well it's just sitting in a double story room with no curtains, so it's echoing and humming like crazy. I think when it's installed under counter it should be ok or I'll call the warranty service to take a look.

We originally were looking at freestanding unit by Fridigidaire for a lot less but people complained about the noise. So we sucked it up and paid for this uline, luckily at half off! I'm hoping it'll be fine.

A descent cabinet install will muffle a lot of the sound. Being in an open 'boomy' room will NOT give you a reasonable idea of installed noise levels. Our ice machine was similar but, once installed what we heard was the occasional ice being ejected into the bin.

It will be going in this spot so I'm hopeful it's going to be fine

Do you have another corner where you can try it against walls and maybe add some boards or something, just to give you an idea?

Just a thought but probably too late:

I had a similar situation with a laundry room near the master bedroom. The builder thought I was crazy for insulating an interior wall. My laundry room (more of a closet ;-) was off a hallway with three walls, two of which were against the master bathroom and the bedroom itself. I had blown cotton insulation blown in before it was sheet rocked at a modest cost and it worked well, especially considering the tile floor!

Today there are newer and better sound deadening options during construction but, some insulation can help with higher frequency sounds (motors and similar) without special knowledge or high cost.

Looking at your picture, I suspect you will be happy. The built in cabinet with surrounding walls appear to be a good option blocking high frequency noises. Deep thumps would be a different problem but, that would be out of the norm for most beverage fridges and ice makers appropriate for homeowner use.

Plllog, that's a great idea. I'm going to try that and see if it helps.

Smm5525,

This may be too late for you but I think I may have found you some other options. These fridges are made for boats. I have no idea about things like UL listing but I was looking for an undercounter freezer at a reasonable price with a danfoss/secop compressor. Since these are made for boats, I think they should be really quiet. Just in case things don't go as expected with your units. They also come in 20.5" wide units.

Isotherm Fridges and Freezer

To sound proof your unit, consider Roxul sound and safe in the walls. There is also acoustic grade Roxul to minimize sound transfer.

Good luck!

The offshore boating fridges and freezers are nice efficient units. However, be careful about potential impacts to your homeowners insurance. While boating appliances are generally much safer to use they are also generally not rated for residential home use either.

Aren't those boating units thermoelectric rather than compressor driven? Should be quiet, if so, but more limited in function, I believe? I don't know much about it. There are plenty of thermoelectric coolers that are designed to be used on household current, so I don't think that would be a problem.

The Peltier effect thermoelectric coolers generally do not offer enough cooling capacity to freeze. Most will do well to pull 40F from ambient.

Boating and camping "freezers" are compressor driven. I seriously considered an ARB when I lived in Arizona because I didn't like the ice cream puddle I got trying to take it home. ARB is a great choice for an off-road or outdoor application. Boating units are very similar but, have a few specific features for boats. I shopped ARB against the boating units and both were good options but, I needed more of an 'automotive' and portable unit so ARB won out. If I ever get a travel trailer, a boating refrigerator in a semi-permanent location would be high on my list of 'wants'.

Sidpost,

I mentioned in my post that these may not be UL listed. I will actually stop at the marine store and look at these personally. ARB reviews have been pretty bad lately. Isotherm actually makes a portable unit and most of the unit run on 12v DC as an option.

plllog,

These are Danfoss/Secop compressor driven models. There are a few other types too but these are built to withstand tropical climates. I only know this because I have now spent too much time on boating forums. This spiral down a rabbit hole started when I was looking for an outdoor box to store cushions but everything I was seeing was ridiculous in price or too small for my cushions. Several neighbors own boats and when I mentioned the search, they recommended dock boxes. This led somehow to Miele Marine and the need for a 36" Miele oven which I need a boat to use:-). I have been in search for an undercounter freezer that was larger than 24". One option I had looked at was the Fisher and Paykel but it has limited reviews and did not go down to -15F like the Liebherr I currently own.

Homepro01,

That's fascinating! I don't really have a place for it, but I kind of lust for Freddy (the Irinox blast chiller that also heats). So I've been looking for a portable that will do -8 to 50° F. That way I could use it for ice cream, sorbet, wigglies, cheese and wine. So then I was going to buy one, but it was just a bit too expensive to just take a flyer on, and when I did more research I just got confused. Any advice?

plllog,

You know I am here to enable. I would consider the Isotherm travel boxes or similar units. I think it may be big enough and when you don't need it, you can turn it off. Would the size work for you? Roughly $700.

Many thanks for the link! I call it "helpful" rather than enabling. Certainly a lot more accessible than Freddy, with the added advantage of the go on the road ability. And yes, I would want to turn it off when not in use. I wish it went warmer, however. The problem with being designed for food is that it's meant for a food safe temperature. :(

Plllog,

trying to think of something that would keep it warm at like 50 degrees. That would be tough. Hope the travel fridge helps!

There are actually lots that do. Like "beverage centers" and "wine fridges" and even some of the standard portable fridge/freezer chests--one assumes for chilling red wine, fruit and cheese. One assumes further that they're in demand for caterers of such repasts. For me, a place to age cheese. :) Or chill wine. But also the sorbet thing at a temperature where it won't turn into a crystallized rock. :) Thanks so much for the info!

homepro01,

Those new Isotherm "travel boxes" look great! I'm glad you mentioned them. My comparison was with the older generation Engel and ARB units. The new Isotherms certainly appear to be much better at first glance. THANKS!

Sidpost,

My pleasure. I am great at spending other peoples' money. We have had 100 degree weather here in the DC area for the last week and my ice cream was soft in a two block car ride home. I can only imagine what happens in Arizona!! I was going to go to the local Marine store and see if they have then on display to gauge the quality of the units. I am looking to convert my home to solar in the next two years and these appliances are energy sippers. Another advantage to them.

homepro01,

it was a "dry heat" for me out in Arizona, much easier than the upper 90's with high humidity but, frozen things never made it home without special measures (no traffic, 4~6am grocery store trips, etc.). There is a reason grocery stores out there sell dry ice next to bagged ice!

Marine appliances are good for off-grid applications as you noted. My neighbor has a 15Kw solar system and my friend and I use 24V DC systems to power commercial size fish 'nurseries', aerate ponds, etc. Give me a shout when you are looking to go solar and maybe I can help you sort through some of the hype and false promises. I'm a believer, not a skeptic but, there is so much misinformation out there people need to be careful or they will end up with an Edsel or will be taken to the poor house.

Sidpost,

i defintely will reach out about the solar. You know I really want this though:-). I see my neighbors already up in arms.

That's darling! I never thought I'd say that about solar. I have a couple dozen panels on the roof, but they power my newish electricity sucking kitchen rather than being an off grid kind of thing. When storage becomes worth the money, I might go there, but right now I just use the grid for a battery, with a two way meter. Do you intend to have an all solar home? Or will you be using it as a backup for LP or something?

plllog,

It is totally cute. I am actually looking at Grid tied solar. I am planning to go all solar with a backup battery. My area has had power instability and I am getting an all electric car next year. Although my energy usage has gone done, every year my electric bill goes up. Also, when we have power outages, it takes days to get power back so I am tired of that. I currently have a small gas generator which powers the whole house except the induction cooktop, the washers and dryers and the oven. Not that when it is snowing like crazy or hot as Hades that I want to do any laundry but I do miss baking sometimes. I am also looking to add mini split systems to the house so that power consumption can go down too and the AC can be run when the power goes out. Panels have become so cheap now that even just for a grid tied system, it may make sense for many people. It also has made me very conscious of how much energy the appliances I own are using. I am excited about it.

A few random thoughts about Solar power and backup generators for residential homes:

I lived through the 300+ tornadoes that rolled through Mississippi and Alabama few years back that took down the nuclear plant. While I thought I was well prepared and ready (and I basically was) in my rental home, I did learn a few things. A gas generator is great until you drain your lawn mower, weed eater, cars, etc. With no electricity, how do you pump gas out of the ground at the gas station? With no cell towers, how do the process credit card transactions? If you walk to a bank, how do you get money out of the ATM (which gets emptied quickly and doesn't get refilled)? My well pump didn't run either so, no fresh water for 10 DAYS! A cast iron skillet or dutch oven and down tree limbs cooks well. The first couple days grill and I ate a lot of steak which tasted great cooked with Pecan limbs. The water/juice from a can of green beans or corn sure is nice after warm beer and soda.

Gasoline generators are nice for a few hours or a day or two but, they are terribly expensive for a week or more.

Ice storms in rural Texas can take down power for a week or more at a time. When your house is 45 degrees and it's 20 outside, an electric furnace, cooktop, oven, and water heater is of little use. I now have wood burning stove (soapstone - yea!) and natural gas at my home. All I need is a small solar system to run the fan in the NATURAL GAS furnace internal fan and to make the kitchen igniters work (though I could use matches). A dutch oven on the wood burning stove makes a nice mini-oven too.

Natural Gas whole house generators are the way to go if you want one of those.

For whole home solar systems, consider "ZONES" for primary , secondary, and luxury appliances. Install hard breakers that will not back charge and kill the power company workers when they finally come to fix your electricity.

A modest 24V solar system is awesome for powering some LED interior lights and a radio through a power outage. They are also good for charging cell phones and tablets too.

Whatever you do with solar, make sure there NO SHADING. As soon as that tree branch puts a shadow on your solar panel, power drops exponentially! Out where I live, we need to wash the dust off occasionally and leaves can be an issue too.

With "grid tied" systems, make sure you understand the credits and billing. Some areas sell electricity for twice what they pay from homeowner. My neighbor sells cheap during the peak (daytime) usage and buy off peak (night time) but, pays as if it was peak hours. He is reimbursed as if it was off peak during the day. Hope that make sense ...

Tesla has made a big deal out of large storage for solar but, do the math. We are still at the $1200 CD player stage for that technology.

Finally, make sure you understand the life span and on going maintenance costs of whatever solar options you consider. They are expensive long term investments unlike the microwave or toaster you can throw away after a year if it breaks or doesn't work out.

Thanks for the info Sid!

• I have zones set up already as part of some electrical upgrades that were performed and this allows me to run my gasoline generator (Honda EU3000, great little generator by the way) and power the house when the electric company misbehaves.
• I considered a Natural gas generator but for the cost, I would prefer to start going solar and will have my little generator in cause of a super emergency.
• My roof does not have shading but I do love the Sunflower and tracking solar although the cost versus value is debatable for my situation.
• Really I am just doing Grid tied because I can't afford to go off grid at once. Most of the grid tied credits are almost a wash in my area. Your statement is exactly how grid tied works in my area.
• I am actually on the waiting list for a Powerwall. It is both a backup battery and can function as a huge UPS for power fluctuations. I have noticed more and more power fluctuations in the last three months. All my major appliances and the electronics are attached to Modified or Pure Sine Wave UPS. They beep randomly when they kick in due to unstable power. For battery backup, I was actually looking at the salt water based batteries from someone like Aquion. Safety and lack of management like AGMs was my main motivation. The batteries will be in a storage space in the home. They are still quite expensive so I hope over time, they come down in price.
• The charge controller and inverter will be my biggest expense. Still have to make a decision whether I want to roof mount the solar or go with a tracking solar pole mount. Looking at the logic of this approach in my region. Also need to read the rules for my county about tracking solar. I know there was some hoopla a while ago about wind turbines.

Thanks for all your feedback so far.

Update: I called for warranty service. After attempting 5 different times with no return of messages, I finally reached someone. The 3rd party appliance repair company came out today and said the noise is normal and that it would probably be even louder once installed into the cabinetry.

He said he can replace the fan but he doesn't think the noise issue would be resolved. Appliance store where I purchased said they would take it back.

I still need to find an 18 to 21" fridge if I return this one or just take a gamble and see if the new fan resolves the issue (if I attempt repair I can't return).

Thanks for the update! Nice that the appliance store will take it back. Since the noise is making you nuts and the repair guy doesn't think it'll get better, that does sound like your best course. Do some rethinking of your plan and see if you can live without the fridge, and do some rethinking of your budget and see if you can get SubZero or Perlick -- but make sure they're quiet enough for you. They're the quietest I've seen, but they're not silent.

It sounds like you should return the model you have as you will likely never be happy with the sound it produces.

You may want to consider the cheaper "drink cooler/fridge" options commonly used by college kids in the dorms. I have an Edgestar brand "extra cooling (or heavy duty something)" that works well for me. It does not freeze but, in 90F temps it will keep beer and soda really cold and I have been known to throw fruit, veggies, milk and eggs, etc. in it without issue. At <$200 delivered, the financial risk is low and you could always move it to the 'man cave/garage' if it doesn't meet the needs you have in the house.

To get one that is EXTRA quiet is going to be EXTRA expensive so, the real question becomes how much is it worth to you? Special vented cabinetry becomes a viable option at some point financially.

We would like a beverage fridge and can budget around $2k for one. The problem is not many options in the size for the opening, 21.5" wide. It would go between two walls not surrounded by other cabinets.

I did a little experiment by turning the temp up to 40 degrees to see if the fan noise is as frequent. I'll report back. I wish subzero or Perlick made an 18".

We did find a freestanding Fridigaire for $500 that fits the opening with ventilation requirements that work. I'm afraid of risk that it might be even louder.

I spoke to a friend last night who recently installed a u line (I think 2000 series) and he said the noise is annoying. So I think it's probably just the way they are made. I suppose I can find go down to a 15" and see if I can find another brand. Or go with the boating fridges mentioned above but I'm not sure they would pass inspection or if warranty would be voided by install in a home.

I have a Frigidaire that I purchased from Lowe's for $300 something a few years ago. It's very quiet actually and I've had no problems with it. It is being used as a freestanding unit now. We're in the process of building and I will be installing it in a cabinet then. I'm planning the space to be 24" for possible replacement if the Frigidaire fails.

smm5525, did you ever replace your u-line? We just bought one today (an open box) and came home and plugged it in and we were shocked at how loud it is. We have 14 days to return it, but our options are limited as we also need an 18 inch unit -- ours is going in an island.

We just finished a remodel of our kitchen and installed a 24 inch Wine Captain with 48 bottle capacity figuring at $2,000, a mid range wine cooler it can't be that bad. It is the noisest appliance we have ever had. Totally dissatisfied. Anyone considering an undercounter wine fridge should look to other more expensive brands.

My U-line undercounter beverage fridge (model #1024BEV-RH) is very noisy. Always buzzing. It is less than four years old. From what I have researched, it seems to be a problem with these units. I also find that the sensor for the door is funky, so even when the door is closed the light often stays on. I must jiggle the door 10 times a day to get it to go off... I am probably just going to replace it.