Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons a refrigerator is not cooling. If you would like to spare yourself a little time and inconvenience, give Champion Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair. Our technicians in Pittsburgh PA are eager to visit and troubleshoot the cooling problem as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it is time to determine what the issue could be. Often times it is something as common as a good coil cleaning. However, with these modern models of refrigerators, they are equipped with various sensors too.

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

Is the cord plugged into an electrical outlet? This might seem like it is a funny question, but we’ve been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the problem. Somehow, it was unplugged. it’s possible a child or pet did it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the cause may be, be sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a very common issue for anyone with small children in their home. After all, kids love buttons and dials and so, without understanding they’re doing something bad, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting is not the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Check that the vents in the freezer area aren’t blocked with boxes or food. This is very common because frozen veggies get pushed in the back of the freezer. There could be food in the back of a freezer unit that has long been forgotten about.

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

This is not a suggestion for refrigerators that have a back coil system. Once everything is clean, plug it into the outlet and monitor if the cooling fan spins.

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are a few more reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to take a look at if your freezer is cool but your refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This occurs when there is a malfunction in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost has a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

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

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a tiny sensor in the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen inspect it is the best course of action 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