Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons for why a refrigerator won’t cool. If you want to spare yourself a little time and inconvenience, give Carter’s Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Pennsylvania. We’re eager to visit and diagnose the problem as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator is not cold anymore, it is time to figure out what the problem is. Most times it’s something as basic as a routine coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. However, with latest models of refrigerators, they are equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we inspect the most typical and easy reasons for this issue. Here are some issues that we’ve found lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is it plugged in? This might seem like it’s a funny question, but we’ve been called out to jobs that this was the problem. Somehow, it was not plugged in. Maybe a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the case may be, be sure it’s plugged in.

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

Which Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Check that each of the vents inside of the freezer area are not blocked with food or containers. This is common because frozen vegetables get stuck in the back. There could be food in the very back of a freezer that has been forgotten.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of all debris. To do this, unplug the fridge and pull it away from the wall. The cooling fan for most models is just at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back part of the freezer unit. Many times, homeowner do not think about cleaning this area of the appliance. But, it is very important to keep it clean. And, it piles up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with homes that have cats and dogs. So, find a clean rag and clean the built-up dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge is Not

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

Every fridge has a pair of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what gets cold and the fan circulates the cool air around inside the appliance. The damper control assembly working correctly. The temperature control board which provides the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably is not the issue but it is worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a small sensor in the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen inspect it is the best solution 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