Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons for why a refrigerator won’t cool. If you would like to save yourself a little time and hassle, give Gray Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Missouri. Our technicians are eager to come out and troubleshoot the cooling issue as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it’s time to figure out what the problem could be. Often times it’s something as basic as a routine coil cleaning behind the appliance. However, with modern fridges, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we monitor the most common and easy reasons for this problem. Here are some things that we’ve found lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is it plugged in? This may seem like it’s a odd question, but we’ve been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the issue. Somehow, the refrigerator was unplugged. Maybe a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the reason might be, be sure it is plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside of the appliance. This is a typical problem for anyone with children in the home. After all, children like buttons and dials and so, without knowing they are doing something bad, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature isn’t the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer area aren’t blocked with food or containers. This is common because bags of frozen vegetables get pushed in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the back of a freezer that has been forgotten.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of all debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The fan for several models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back of the freezer section. A lot of times, people don’t think to clean this area of the refrigerator. But, it is important to clean it. And, it fills up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in homes that have dogs and cats. So, grab a rag and clean the built-up dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are a few more reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to start to take a look at if the freezer is cold but your fridge is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This occurs if there is a malfunction in the defrost heating system. Or when the automatic defrost experiences a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another cause.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what gets cold and then the fan circulates the cold air around inside the appliance. The damper control assembly working correctly. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this is not likely the issue but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a little sensor in the unit that tells 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