Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are several reasons a refrigerator isn’t cooling. If you would like to save yourself some time and hassle, give HOF Highland Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Highland, CA. We’re happy to come out and diagnose the cooling issue as well as correct it for you.

When a refrigerator is not cold anymore, it is time to determine what the issue is. Most times it’s something as basic as a good coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. However, with latest fridges, they are equipped with various sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we inspect the most typical and simple reasons for this problem. Here are a couple of of the issues that we’ve determined lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the cord plugged in? This might seem like it’s a odd question, but we have been called out to jobs that this was the reason for the issue. For some reason, it was unplugged. it’s possible a kid did it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the cause might be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a very common problem for families with children in their home. After all, children like dials and buttons and so, without understanding they’re doing anything wrong, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting isn’t the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer aren’t blocked with food or boxes. This is very common since sometimes bags of frozen vegetables get pushed in the back. There might be food in the very back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten about.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To check this, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the wall. The cooling fan for most models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back of the freezer portion. A lot of times, people don’t think to clean this area of the refrigerator. But, it is very important to clean it. And, it piles up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with houses that have pets. So, get a rag and clean the dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are many reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to start to check if the freezer is cold but your refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This occurs because there’s a malfunction in the defrost system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

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

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor within the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our repairmen inspect it is the best solution but these are a few of 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