Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a lot of reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to spare yourself some time and inconvenience, give ARRC Redlands Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Redlands, CA. We’re happy to visit and troubleshoot the problem as well as correct it for you.

When your refrigerator is no longer cold, it’s time to see what the issue could be. A lot of times it is something as basic as a good coil cleaning. But, with these latest fridges, they’re manufactured with various sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we look at the most common and simple reasons for this problem. Here are some of the issues that we’ve determined lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is the cord plugged in? This may seem like a funny question, but we have been hired for appointments that this was the problem. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. Maybe a child or pet did it, or an electrician doing a service visit. Whatever the case may be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a typical problem for those with children in the house. After all, kids like buttons and dials and so, without knowing they are doing anything wrong, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat setting is not the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Be sure all of the vents inside the freezer area are not blocked with food or boxes. This is very common because frozen vegetables get pushed in the back. There might be food in the back of a freezer that has long been forgotten about.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of all debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and slide it away from the wall. The fan for several models is right at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back part of the freezer section. Often times, homeowner do not think to clean this area of the fridge. But, it is important to clean it. And, it fills up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with homes that have cats and dogs. So, grab a rag and get the dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are many causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to start to check if your freezer is cold but your fridge is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens when there’s a malfunction in the defrost heating system. Or when the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

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

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a little sensor inside the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best solution but these are some of the most typical problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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