Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator too warm

There are a variety of reasons why a refrigerator is not cooling. If you would like to spare yourself some time and hassle, give Infinity Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Philadelphia, PA. Our repairmen are happy to come out and troubleshoot the cooling issue and correct it for you.

When a refrigerator is no longer cold, it’s time to figure out what the issue could be. A lot of times it is something as simple as a good coil cleaning. But, with modern fridges, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most typical and simple causes for this issue. Here are some of the things that we have found can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the refrigerator plugged into an electrical outlet? This may seem like it is a silly question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the issue. Somehow, it was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet did it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the case may be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside of the refrigerator. This is a very common problem for anyone with children in their home. After all, children are fascinated with buttons and dials and so, without knowing they’re doing anything bad, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature isn’t the cause of the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Check that the vents inside the freezer aren’t blocked with containers or food. This is common because bags of frozen veggies get stuck in the back. There can be food in the very back of a freezer that has been forgotten.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To check this, unplug the fridge and slide it out from the kitchen wall. The fan for most models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back of the freezer section. Many times, homeowner don’t think to clean this section of the fridge. But, it’s important to clean it. And, it builds up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in 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 the back coil system. Once all clean, plug it back into the wall and notice if the cooling fan moves.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are several causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to check if the freezer is cool but the fridge is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs because there is a failure in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and the fan moves the cool air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly is not working the right way. The temperature control board which carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this probably isn’t the problem but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a little sensor in the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best solution but these are a few of of the most typical issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES