Sound reference
What is that appliance noise?
A text-based sound library helps you describe what you hear without pretending every click or hum is a failed part.
| Noise | Often normal when… | Investigate when… |
|---|---|---|
| Click | A relay, valve, latch or thermostat changes state briefly. | Clicking repeats with failed starts, heat, arcing sounds or no operation. |
| Hum | A compressor, fan, motor or valve runs steadily. | Hum is unusually loud, motor does not turn, or protection trips. |
| Gurgle | Refrigerant or drain water moves through tubing. | Paired with cooling loss, overflow or blocked drainage. |
| Rattle | Loose lightweight items or tubing vibrate briefly. | New, severe, persistent, or metal-on-metal. |
| Thump | A washer redistributes a load or ice drops into a bin. | Repeated violent movement, walking machine, cabinet strikes. |
| Squeal | Very brief belt/drive transition on some designs. | Persistent, worsening, hot/burning smell or reduced movement. |
| Grind | Rarely a sound to ignore when strong/metallic. | Stop and investigate if severe or accompanied by poor pumping/rotation. |
| Whoosh | Fan/air damper or refrigeration flow changes. | Airflow disappears, temperature rises or fan scrapes ice. |
Why there are no fake audio clips
Audio examples are useful only when they are accurately recorded and labelled for the relevant appliance/component. This library intentionally starts with descriptive language rather than synthetic clips that could mislead users.