Water Line into Fridge Vibrating Loudly

[rcb]

That's the best description I can give. This is the water line that attaches to our refrigerator. Of late, it has started vibrating/shaking more and more. Very loud and noticeable. Pic and short video attached.

It started some time ago, primarily when we get filtered water from fridge dispenser. Then you could here it when you close the faucet at kitchen sink. Then occasionally when you flush toilet in guest bath. Today has been the worst while running the washing machine. It's like it's going to vibrate/shake itself right out of the wall.

Admittedly not having a clue, it almost seems like there's air in the line or pipe, but it's a water line, so would that really matter. Sorry I can't describe better, but any thoughts?? Thanks kindly.

 

[Geofd]

There are (hammer arrestors) out there you can install it threads right onto the supply valve and the other end threads into the pipe if you have a plastic water supply you will need a brass insert that pushes into the pipe

 

[havasu]

A few months back, I had a new fridge delivered. They would only connect the ice maker if I purchased a new line. Well, they threw away my 6' stainless water line and reconnected a 12' water line. Every time the yard sprinklers or sink was turned on, it would slap against the back of the fridge making a banging noise.

Yesterday I reinstalled a new 6' stainless line, so it is neatly coiled behind the fridge, and I no longer have that incessant noise.

 

[Twowaxhack]

That’s weird. Little more going on it sounds like than typical water hammer.

RCB...Do you have a pressure reducing valve ?

 

[wpns]

Obviously some kind of resonance slapping the pipe against the wall, try a piece of cardboard to see if you can change the resonant frequency. It could’ve gotten worse because your fridge moved a millimeter further from the wall or some thing silly, but it could also be a PRV or the solenoid valve chattering or something else esoteric.

 

[Aloha Mark]

This sounds very similar to my washing machine during the spin cycle banging against a wooden cabinet. LG runs a motor at high speed to build up centrifugal force.
In a refrigerator there are fan motors which run periodically, but never with that much torque. An compressor may vibrate that much if the rubber bushings are cracked or it is unbalanced. A silicone sheet wrapped around the copper tubing may reduce the slapping noise, but I would troubleshoot why the refrigerator is vibrating that much. Do you hear the compressor cycling, or the ice maker producing cracked ice while the vibration is happening? An air gap in the water line would eventually go away after you requested water from the refrigerator.

 

[wpns]

Still feels like a 'tuning fork' resonance to me, try moving the fridge in or out an inch and see if it changes.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

What I did was to wrap the hose with short pieces of foam rubber placed at strategic intervals, mine's coiled, so I put some foam at the high and low spots, and the noise has disappeared.

 

[dmmsr]

Water hammer arrestor may just mask the problem. Like Twowaxhack asked, could be a pressure reducing valve. Being it happens when different fixtures are turned on. If you do have a prv do you have an expansion tank on your system? If not that along with a new prv. Is where I would start. If no prv I would try shutting each water supply valves off individually and try it. Could be a loose washer in a valve. When the water passes by it will flutter causing this undesirable noise.