Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons why a refrigerator will not cool. If you would like to spare yourself a little time and inconvenience, give Precise Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair. We’re eager to visit and diagnose the cooling problem and fix it for you.

When a refrigerator has lost its cold, it is time to figure out what the issue is. Most times it is something as simple as a good coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with new models of refrigerators, they are equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most typical and simple reasons for this problem. Here are some of the issues that we’ve determined lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the refrigerator plugged in? This may seem like a silly question, but we’ve been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the issue. Somehow, it was not plugged in. it’s possible a a pet did it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the cause may be, be sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a very common problem for those with small children in their house. After all, kids like buttons and dials and so, without understanding they’re doing something wrong, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Check that each of the vents inside the freezer area are not blocked with food or boxes. This is common since frozen veggies get pushed in the back. There could be food in the very back of a freezer that has been forgotten about.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of all debris. To do this, unplug the fridge and pull it away from the wall. The fan for a lot of models is just at the bottom or in the back of the freezer section. Many times, homeowner don’t think to clean this area of the refrigerator. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with houses that have cats and dogs. So, get a rag and get the collected dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling fan.

This is not a suggestion for refrigerators that have the rear coil system. Once everything is clean, plug it back into the wall and see if the fan moves.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are a few more reasons for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to check if your freezer is cool but the fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens if there is a failure in the defrost heating system. Or when the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another cause.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and the fan moves the cool air around inside the appliance. The damper control assembly isn’t working the right way. The temperature control board which transports the electricity to the compressor and fan, this isn’t likely the issue but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a tiny sensor within the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect 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