Why Isn’t My Refrigerator Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons why a refrigerator is not cooling. If you want to save yourself a little time and inconvenience, give D&D Worcester Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Worcester, MA. We’re happy to come out and diagnose the problem as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold, it’s time to figure out what the problem might be. Most times it is something as basic as a good coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. But, with these latest refrigerators, they are manufactured with various sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we look at the most common and simple causes for this issue. Here are some of the things that we have found can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is the cord plugged into an outlet? This might seem like a silly question, but we have been called out to jobs that this was the reason for the problem. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the case might be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a very typical problem for customers with children in their home. After all, children like buttons and dials and so, without understanding they’re doing anything wrong, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Be sure all of the vents in the freezer area are not blocked with containers or food. This is common since frozen veggies get stuck in the back. There might be food in the way back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of all debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and pull it out from the wall. The fan for a lot of models is right at the bottom or in the back of the freezer portion. Often times, people don’t think about cleaning this section of the appliance. But, it’s very important to clean it. And, it fills up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in houses that have dogs and cats. So, get a rag and get the dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to check if the freezer is cold but the refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This occurs because there’s a failure in the defrost heating system. Or the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what gets cold and the fan circulates the cool air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly isn’t working correctly. The temperature control board carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably is not the problem but it is worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a tiny sensor within the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best option 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
• Why Doesn’t My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Work?