Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a lot of reasons why a refrigerator won’t cool. If you would like to spare yourself some time and hassle, give Livermore Appliance Repair Pros a call for residential refrigerator repair. We are eager to visit and diagnose the cooling problem as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator is no longer cold, it is time to determine what the issue could be. Often times it’s something as simple as a routine coil cleaning. But, with these new fridges, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we inspect the most typical and easy causes for this problem. Here are some of the things that we have found lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is it plugged into an electrical outlet? This might seem like a silly question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the issue. Somehow, the refrigerator was not plugged in. Maybe a kid did it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the reason might be, be sure it is plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a typical issue for families with small children in their house. After all, kids like dials and buttons and so, without knowing they’re doing something wrong, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature 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 boxes or food. This is common because frozen vegetables get stuck in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the way back of a freezer that has been forgotten about.

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

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are several reasons for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to check if the freezer is cool but your refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens if there’s a malfunction in the defrost heating system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences a problem. 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 cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly isn’t working correctly. The temperature control board carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this is not likely the problem but it’s worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a little sensor in the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best solution but these are some of the most common issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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