Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are many reasons for why a refrigerator is not cooling. If you want to spare yourself a little time and burden, give Prince Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Franklin, TN. We’re happy to visit and diagnose the cooling problem as well as correct it for you.

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

Before we look too deep, we look at the most common and simple reasons for this problem. Here are a few of things that we have determined can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the cord plugged in? This may seem like a odd question, but we’ve been hired for jobs that this was the problem. For some reason, it was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet did it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the reason might be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a very typical problem for customers with small children in the home. After all, children love dials and buttons and so, without knowing they are doing something bad, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat setting is not the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Check that the vents inside of the freezer area are not blocked with food or boxes. This is common because bags of frozen veggies get pushed in the back. There can be food in the very back of a freezer unit that has long been forgotten.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To check this, unplug the fridge and slide it out from the wall. The cooling fan for several models is just at the bottom of the appliance or in the back of the freezer section. A lot of times, customers don’t think about cleaning this section of the fridge. But, it’s important to keep it clean. And, it fills up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in homes that have pets. So, grab a clean rag and get the collected dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

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

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what gets cold and the fan pushes the cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly isn’t working properly. The temperature control board that transports the electricity to the compressor and fan, this probably isn’t the problem but it is worth mentioning.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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