Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator not cold

There are a variety of reasons a refrigerator isn’t cooling. If you would like to save yourself a little time and inconvenience, give Ericson Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair. We are eager to visit and diagnose the issue as well as fix it for you.

When your refrigerator has lost its cold, it is time to determine what the issue is. Most times it is something as basic as a routine coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with new models of refrigerators, they’re manufactured with a variety of sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we monitor the most typical and common causes for this issue. Here are a couple of issues that we have determined can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the refrigerator plugged into an outlet? This may seem like it is a odd question, but we have been hired for jobs that this was the issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was not plugged in. Maybe a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the cause may be, make sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the refrigerator. This is a typical problem for families with small children in their home. After all, children love buttons and dials and so, without understanding they are doing anything wrong, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature is not the reason for the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents in the freezer are not blocked with boxes or food. This is common since sometimes bags of frozen veggies get jammed in the back. There might be food in the back of a freezer that has been forgotten about.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the wall. The fan for most models is right at the bottom or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. Many times, customers do not think about cleaning this area of the fridge. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it fills up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in houses that have pets. So, get a rag and get the built-up dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are several reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to take a look at if your freezer is cold but your refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs because there is a failure in the defrost heating system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another cause.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and the fan pushes the cool air around inside the appliance. The damper control assembly isn’t working the right way. The temperature control board transports the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably is not the problem but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a tiny sensor inside the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best solution but these are some of the most common problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES