[bob1029]

The latest wave of appliances is really fucking loud for some reason.

I think they're using different kinds of motor windings, bearings, insulation, etc. it's not related to the refrigerant or other system parameters. I've had older r600a fridges that were dead silent compared to anything sitting in a Best Buy showroom right now.

[userbinator]

Likely high speed compressors --- the oldest hermetic systems used an induction motor running at 1800 RPM, then later they went to 3600 RPM, and now they're running on a VFD that possibly goes much faster. By making it pump faster, they can use a smaller compressor and reduce costs, at the expense of longevity and noise.

[esseph]

Ew.

[madaxe_again]

They use lighter lubricant oils than were historically used, which allows more vibration. It’s also why compressors burn out far more quickly than they used to.

[userbinator]

That too. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32462954