Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons why a refrigerator is not cooling. If you want to save yourself some time and burden, give Choice Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Cypress, TX. We’re happy to visit and troubleshoot the cooling problem as well as repair it for you.

When your refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it’s time to figure out what the issue might be. Most times it’s something as basic as a good coil cleaning. But, with modern models of refrigerators, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most typical and common causes for this issue. Here are a couple of things that we’ve found can lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is the cord plugged in? This may seem like it’s a silly question, but we’ve been called out to jobs that this was the reason for the issue. Somehow, the refrigerator was not plugged in. Maybe a a pet did it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the reason may be, make sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a common issue for customers with children in their home. After all, kids love buttons and dials and so, without knowing they are doing something wrong, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Check that all of the vents inside of the freezer area aren’t blocked with containers or food. This is common because sometimes bags of frozen veggies get stuck in the back of the freezer. There can be food in the very back of a freezer that has been forgotten.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of all debris. To check this, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for many models is right at the bottom or somewhere in the back part of the freezer unit. Many times, homeowner don’t think to clean this area of the refrigerator. But, it’s very important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with homes that have dogs and cats. So, grab a clean rag and clean the dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these more common ones to take a look at if your freezer is cold but the fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs because there’s a malfunction in the defrost heating system. Or the automatic defrost experiences a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what cool and the fan pushes the cold air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly isn’t working properly. The temperature control board provides the electricity to the compressor and fan, this probably isn’t the problem but it is worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a little sensor inside the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best course of action but these are a few of of the most typical issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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