[t-head]

http://www.sunfrost.com/refrigerator_models.html

one model has no fan...friend has it for his solar-house...dead quiet...YMMV

[geniescience]

I joined this forum for THIS thread. 

What I would find attractive is a button or a switch on a fridge that enabled me to reduce the fridge noise for 90 minutes.

Perhaps that would turn the motor down to so low that the cooling process is partially suspended. (Perhaps it would turn it off.) To remain safe, it could reduce the "Dial" temperature to minimum setting for 90 minutes, assuming I had previously set it at a colder temperature setting.
-- I could put an on-off switch on the power line, but that is not optimal.




I've looked at SunFrost, SunDanzer, Fagor, Summit, Blomberg, Liebherr, Thermador, Bosch, U-Line, Northland, LG, Samsung and others.

I'm now drawing up specs for my OWN home-made design like a SunFrost or SunDanzer, with an emphasis on bottom-hinged telescoping doors, so I can hybridize some of the benefits of a chest design along with the practicality of a front-door design in a kitchen. Like the Fagor  commercial FMT or FST telescoping tops.

Then I'll need to get a refrigeration technician to advise me for the components. 

By the way, there are many fridges with fridge space 7 cu.ft. or less, or 11 cu.ft or more.
Almost Nothing in the 9 to 10 cu.ft. range (of net volume in the fridge, not gross, not total, not with freezer)
 

Did you know that a deciBel is a relative-comparison unit of measure, not an absolute value?
Manufacturers can play with this.
They can declare what they want in terms of dB, and let us assume they compare their fridges to the same reference noise.

BUT they don't have to share their reference noise data with other manufacturers.
So, it is not possible to use dB between different_companies' products to justify a noise comparison.

I have seen many manufacturers publish dishwasher noise dB "data" but not fridge noise.


David

[Photon46]

David, very good point about the relative value of db. noise ratings. That's what has been frustrating me greatly about shopping for fridges, there's no common reference value to make meaningful comparisons. Good luck in your quest for the ultimate fridge, a most unique diy project.

[KKM]

Most frig are in a nook and maybe the noise is amplified when the compressor noise bounces off the hard walls. Maybe lining the surface with a sound absorbing material will mute the noise?

[Turnandcough]

My mom's 35 year old Frigidaire used to be dead quiet.
What's the deal? You buy a brand new fridge - it's noisy, probably needs servicing once or twice during it's lifespan then it stops working altogether after about 10 years.