Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are many reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you would like to spare yourself some time and hassle, give McBride Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair. We’re eager to visit and diagnose the cooling issue as well as fix it for you.

When your refrigerator is no longer cold anymore, it’s time to figure out what the problem might be. Most times it’s something as simple as a good coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with new refrigerators, they’re equipped with various sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we monitor the most common and easy reasons for this issue. Here are some issues that we’ve determined can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the cord plugged into an electrical outlet? This will seem like a funny question, but we have been hired for jobs that this was the problem. Somehow, the refrigerator was unplugged. it’s possible a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the case might be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the appliance. This is a common problem for those with small children in the home. After all, kids like dials and buttons and so, without knowing they are doing anything bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature isn’t the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Check that each of the vents inside the freezer are not blocked with food or boxes. This is very common since frozen veggies get stuck in the back. There might be food in the very back of a freezer that has long been forgotten.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for several models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back part of the freezer section. Often times, homeowner do not think about cleaning this area of the fridge. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it clogs up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in homes that have pets. So, grab a rag and get the built-up dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

There are many reasons for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these more common ones to check if your freezer is cold but your fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens if there’s a malfunction in the defrost system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another cause.

Every refrigerator has a set of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what cool and then the fan moves the cool air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly is not working properly. The temperature control board which carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably is not the problem but it’s worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a little sensor in the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best solution but these are a few of of the most common issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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