Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons why a refrigerator will not cool. If you would like to save yourself a little time and hassle, give Cardinal Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair. We are eager to come out and diagnose the cooling issue and repair it for you.

When a refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it’s time to see what the problem might be. Often times it is something as basic as a good coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. However, with these new models of refrigerators, they’re equipped with various sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we monitor the most common and easy reasons for this problem. Here are some of the issues that we have found can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is the cord plugged into an electrical outlet? This may seem like it is a odd question, but we’ve been called out to appointments that this was the problem. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the reason may be, make sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the appliance. This is a very typical problem for those with children in their home. After all, children love dials and buttons and so, without understanding they’re doing something bad, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting is not the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Check that the vents inside of the freezer area are not blocked with food or containers. This is very common because sometimes frozen vegetables get stuck in the back. There might be food in the way back of a freezer unit that has long been forgotten.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it out from the kitchen wall. The fan for many models is just at the bottom or somewhere in the back of the freezer portion. A lot of times, homeowner do not think to clean this area of the refrigerator. But, it’s important to clean it. And, it fills up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have cats and dogs. So, grab a rag and get the built-up dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are many reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to check if the freezer is cool but the refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens when there’s a malfunction in the defrost system. Or if the automatic defrost has a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every fridge has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and then the fan pushes the cold air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly working the right way. The temperature control board that transports the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably is not the issue but it’s worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a small sensor within 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 common problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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