[Resolved]  LG Electronics — Refrigerator - Linear Inverter

Hello Grievance team,

I have purchased an LG refrigerator Model No: GL-T402JPZN/2021 (linear inverter) on 19/01/2021 from reliance digital (Inorbit mall Bangalore). I had specifically asked for a noiseless refrigerator and LG was the brand offered. The delivery and installation were done on 19/01/2021.

Our ordeal started from the very first day. We noticed a constant humming and buzzing noise of intensity 40 dBA, coming from the refrigerator. This noise is noticeable around 80-90 % of the time in a day (24 Hours). We can hear this noise from our other room as well.

We recorded the start and stop pattern for the noise produced by this refrigerator. We conducted this exercise multiple times considering 3 hours’ time window. Attached is one sample of data for your reference ( Please Refer attached document Start_And_Stop_Sample_Data.PNG).

We visited the reliance digital store the next day (20/01/2021) and discussed this behavior. The salesperson told us, this refrigerator is a silent model and it should not be producing this much noise.

On 21/01/2021, we raised a formal complaint (RNP[protected] about this constant high-frequency noise of the refrigerator.

An LG technician visited me in the evening on 21/01/2021. He confirmed at the time of the visit the noise level is high and he would escalate this matter to the technical team. But the LG team closed my complaint without a resolution. We felt deceived and cheated by this unprofessional customer care.

As per the LG website, if measured from the front of the refrigerator, the Inverter Linear Compressor model emitted 22dB of noise, equivalent to the sound level of a quiet bedroom. We have measured the noise with a sound meter, it come around 40 dBA ( Refer to attachment Sound_Level_Measured.png ). Measurement was recorded and shared with the LG Customer care Bangalore team, led by Mr. Rajkumar T K.

Unfortunately, my complaint has not been addressed yet. In fact, for LG Customer Care it is normal for a refrigerator to make humming and buzzing sound 80-90% of the time in 24 hours with 40 dBA.

Our 9 years old refrigerator never troubled us with noise. Even I checked new refrigerators of other brands. They do not make this constant noise.

Dear LG, for you living with a device buzzing 80-90% of the time at 40 dBA, audible from another room is normal. For us, it is not. We are in extreme discomfort and with every passing day, our stress is increasing. Please favor us by taking your refrigerator back. LG says "Life's good", but ours is not with this refrigerator.

I have a simple request. We do not want a refrigerator that makes noise nearly all the time. Also, we do not want a refrigerator with the wrong and misleading specifications. A consumer shall not be forced to keep an unsatisfactory product that brings stress and discomfort to life. Please on a humanitarian ground help us.

Few references for you -

1) LG claims noise of 22 dbA measure from the front of the refrigerator. In our case it is 40 dBA.
http://www.lgnewsroom.com/2014/04/lg-refrigerator-with-inverter-linear-compresso...⇄ level%20of%20a%20quiet%20bedroom

2) Attached excerpt (Excerpt_LG_Support.PNG) from LG support page says if the noise is loud enough to be heard from another room, then the unit requires a repair. In the night time, noise is clearly heard from bedroom ( at a distance of 25 feet from the refrigerator).

3) There are similar complaints raised for Linear Inverter based refrigerator. We are not the only one facing it.
https://lgcommunity.us.com/discussion/1570/new-fridge-compressor-making-loud-buz...⇄

PS: Not able to attach videos here. Hence attaching photos only.

Thanks,
Ashok Kumar