Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are many reasons a refrigerator won’t cool. If you want to save yourself some time and inconvenience, give Pearson Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in CITY, ST. Our repairmen are eager to come out and diagnose the problem as well as fix it for you.

When your refrigerator has lost its cold, it’s time to see what the problem is. Most times it is something as basic as a routine coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. But, with modern refrigerators, they’re equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most common and simple reasons for this problem. Here are some things that we’ve found can lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is it plugged into an electrical outlet? This may seem like it is a funny question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the problem. Somehow, the refrigerator was not plugged in. Maybe a child or pet did it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the cause may be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside of the refrigerator. This is a very common issue for customers with small children in their house. After all, kids love buttons and dials and so, without understanding they are doing something wrong, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting is not the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Check that all of the vents in the freezer area are not blocked with boxes or food. This is very common since bags of frozen veggies get jammed in the back. There could be food in the way back of a freezer unit that has long been forgotten about.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of all debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it out from the kitchen wall. The fan for a lot of models is right at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back part of the freezer unit. A lot of times, customers do not think about cleaning this area of the appliance. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it fills up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with homes that have dogs and cats. So, find a clean rag and get the 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 monitor if the cooling fan moves.

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to check if your freezer is cool but the refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens because there is a malfunction in the defrost heating system. Or the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

Every fridge has a pair of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what cool and the fan pushes the cold air around inside the appliance. The damper control assembly isn’t working correctly. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this isn’t likely the problem but it’s worth troubleshooting.

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 solution but these are a few of 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