Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons a refrigerator won’t cool. If you want to spare yourself some time and hassle, give Palmer Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair. We’re eager to visit and troubleshoot the cooling problem and correct it for you.

When your refrigerator is not cold anymore, it’s time to see what the problem might be. Most times it is something as simple as a good coil cleaning behind the appliance. However, with new models of refrigerators, they are manufactured with various sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we inspect the most common and easy causes for this problem. Here are some of the things that we have found lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the cord plugged into an outlet? This may seem like it is a funny question, but we’ve been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the issue. Somehow, it was not plugged in. Maybe a kid unplugged it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the cause may be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a very typical problem for customers with children in their home. After all, kids like dials and buttons and so, without understanding they’re doing anything wrong, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature isn’t the reason for the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents inside the freezer area aren’t blocked with food or containers. This is common since bags of frozen veggies get jammed in the back of the freezer. There can be food in the way back of a freezer that has been forgotten about.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for most models is right at the bottom or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. Many times, customers do not think to clean this area of the fridge. But, it’s important to keep it clean. And, it piles up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in homes that have pets. So, grab a rag and get the dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are many causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to check if the freezer is cold but your fridge is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens if 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 pair of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what gets cold and then the fan pushes the cool air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly isn’t working correctly. The temperature control board transports the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably isn’t the problem but it is worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a tiny sensor in the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best option but these are some of the most typical issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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