Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are many reasons for why a refrigerator isn’t cooling. If you would like to save yourself some time and hassle, give Hayes Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair. We’re happy to visit and diagnose the cooling problem as well as fix it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold anymore, it is time to figure out what the issue is. Often times it’s something as simple as a routine coil cleaning. However, with these new models of refrigerators, they are manufactured with various sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most typical and simple causes for this problem. Here are some of the things that we’ve determined can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is it plugged in? This might seem like it’s a funny question, but we’ve been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the issue. For some reason, it was not plugged in. Maybe a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the cause may be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the appliance. This is a typical problem for anyone with small children in their house. After all, kids like buttons and dials and so, without understanding they’re doing anything bad, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Check that each of the vents inside the freezer aren’t blocked with boxes or food. This is common since frozen vegetables get pushed in the back of the freezer. There can be food in the back of a freezer unit that has long been forgotten about.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for a lot of models is right at the bottom or in the back of the freezer section. Many times, homeowner don’t think about cleaning this section of the refrigerator. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it clogs up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with houses that have pets. So, find a rag and clean the dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

There are several causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to take a look at if your freezer is cool but the fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens because there’s a failure in the defrost heating system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

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

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor inside the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best option but these are some of the most common problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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