Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are several reasons a refrigerator won’t cool. If you would like to spare yourself some time and inconvenience, give Spencer Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in CITY, ST. Our repairmen are happy to come out and diagnose the problem and correct it for you.

When a refrigerator is not cold, it is time to determine what the problem could be. Most times it is something as simple as a good coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. However, with these new refrigerators, they’re equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we look at the most common and simple causes for this problem. Here are a couple of issues that we’ve found can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the cord plugged in? This may seem like it’s a odd question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the problem. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. Maybe a kid did it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the cause might be, make sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a very common problem for those with small children in the home. After all, children are fascinated with dials and buttons and so, without knowing they’re doing something wrong, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting isn’t the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Be sure the vents in the freezer area are not blocked with food or containers. This is common since sometimes bags of frozen veggies get pushed in the back. There could be food in the very back of a freezer that has long been forgotten about.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and slide it away from the wall. The fan for a lot of models is right at the bottom or somewhere in the back part of the freezer section. Often times, homeowner don’t think about cleaning this area of the appliance. But, it is very important to keep it clean. And, it clogs up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have cats and dogs. So, find a rag and clean the built-up dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling fan.

This is not recommended for refrigerators that have the back coil system. Once everything is clean, plug it into the outlet and notice if the fan spins.

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are several causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these more common ones to start to check if your freezer is cold but your refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens when there is a failure in the defrost heating system. Or the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another cause.

Every refrigerator has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and then the fan pushes the cold air around inside the unit. The damper control assembly isn’t working properly. The temperature control board which transports the electricity to the fan and compressor, this is not likely the issue but it’s worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a tiny sensor in the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best option but these are a few of of the most typical problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Ice Maker Isn’t Working
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Refrigerator is Noisy
• Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working