Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are several reasons a refrigerator is not cooling. If you want to save yourself a little time and inconvenience, give Henry’s Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in The Villages, FL. Our technicians are eager to visit and diagnose the cooling issue and repair it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold, it’s time to see what the problem is. A lot of times it’s something as simple as a routine coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. However, with these latest fridges, they are manufactured with various sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we monitor the most common and common reasons for this issue. Here are a couple of issues that we have found can lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is the refrigerator plugged into an electrical outlet? This will seem like it is a funny question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was not plugged in. it’s possible a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the case might be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the appliance. This is a very common problem for those with small children in their home. After all, kids love buttons and dials and so, without knowing they’re doing something bad, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature isn’t the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Be sure each of the vents inside the freezer area are not blocked with containers or food. This is common since sometimes bags of frozen vegetables get pushed in the back. There can be food in the way back of a freezer that has long been forgotten about.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The fan for several models is just at the bottom or in the back of the freezer portion. Many times, customers don’t think about cleaning this area of the refrigerator. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in homes that have cats and dogs. So, find a rag and get the dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

This is not recommended for refrigerators that have the back coil system. Once everything is clean, plug it back into the outlet and notice if the cooling fan moves.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

There are a few more reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to start to check if the freezer is cool but the fridge is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens because there is a malfunction in the defrost heating system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and the fan moves the cold air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working the right way. The temperature control board provides the electricity to the fan and compressor, this isn’t likely the issue but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a little sensor in the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best course of action but these are some of the most common problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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