Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a lot of reasons for why a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to save yourself a little time and hassle, give Elroy Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Tennessee. Our repairmen are happy to visit and diagnose the cooling problem and repair it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold, it’s time to figure out what the problem could be. Often times it’s something as common as a routine coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with these latest models of refrigerators, they are equipped with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we look at the most common and common reasons for this issue. Here are some issues that we have determined lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the refrigerator plugged into an electrical outlet? This will seem like it’s a silly question, but we’ve been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the problem. Somehow, it was unplugged. Maybe a kid unplugged it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the case may be, make sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the refrigerator. This is a very typical problem for those with children in the house. After all, children like buttons and dials and so, without understanding they’re doing something bad, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature is not the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer area are not blocked with containers or food. This is very common since frozen vegetables get jammed in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the way back of a freezer that has been forgotten about.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of all debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and pull it away from the kitchen wall. The fan for many models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back of the freezer portion. A lot of times, customers 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, find a rag and clean the collected dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to take a look at if the freezer is cold but your refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs if there is a failure in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost experiences a problem. The evaporator fan motor is another cause.

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

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