Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons a refrigerator is not cooling. If you would like to save yourself some time and inconvenience, give Shoreline Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Orange County. Our repairmen are happy to visit and troubleshoot the cooling problem and fix it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold anymore, it is time to see what the issue is. Often times it’s something as common as a good coil cleaning. But, with latest fridges, they are manufactured with various sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we inspect the most common and easy causes for this problem. Here are some of the things that we have found lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is the refrigerator plugged into an outlet? This might seem like it is a odd question, but we have been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the problem. Somehow, the refrigerator was unplugged. Maybe a a pet did it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the reason might be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a very common problem for anyone with small children in their home. After all, children love dials and buttons and so, without knowing they’re doing anything bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature isn’t the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

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

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the kitchen wall. The fan for most models is right at the bottom or in the back of the freezer portion. A lot of times, people 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 houses that have dogs and cats. So, grab a rag and clean the collected dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are several causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to start to take a look at if the freezer is cool but the fridge is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens if there’s a malfunction in the defrost system. Or when the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every refrigerator has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and then the fan moves the cool air around inside the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working the right way. The temperature control board carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this isn’t likely the problem but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor inside the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen inspect it is the best option but these are a few of 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