Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to spare yourself some time and burden, give A&L Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Escondido, CA. Our technicians are happy to come out and diagnose the issue and fix it for you.

When your refrigerator is no longer cold, it is time to figure out what the problem is. Often times it’s something as basic as a routine coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. But, with modern models of refrigerators, they are equipped with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most common and simple causes for this issue. Here are a couple of 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, it was unplugged. Maybe a kid unplugged it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the cause may be, make sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a typical problem for those with small children in the house. After all, children love dials and buttons and so, without understanding they are doing anything wrong, they mess with them. So, check that the thermostat setting is not the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Check that each of the vents inside the freezer are not blocked with food or boxes. This is common because sometimes frozen veggies get jammed in the back. There might be food in the way back of a freezer unit that has long been forgotten.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To do this, unplug the fridge and pull it away from the kitchen wall. The fan for many models is just at the bottom or in the back of the freezer unit. Many times, people don’t think to clean this area of the appliance. But, it is very important to clean it. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have pets. So, grab a clean rag and get the built-up dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

There are many reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to take a look at if the freezer is cold but your refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens because there’s a failure 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 evaporator coils are what cool and the fan moves the cool air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly is not working properly. The temperature control board that provides the electricity to the compressor and fan, this is not likely the issue but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a tiny sensor within the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best option but these are some 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