Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator too warm

There are a lot of reasons for why a refrigerator is not cooling. If you would like to spare yourself a little time and hassle, give First-Class Duluth Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Duluth, MN. We’re happy to come out and diagnose the cooling problem and correct it for you.

When your refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it’s time to determine what the issue might be. Often times it’s something as simple as a routine coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with these latest models of refrigerators, they are equipped with various sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we look at the most typical and common causes for this issue. Here are some of the things that we’ve found can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

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

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a very typical problem for those with children in the home. After all, children are fascinated with dials and buttons and so, without knowing they are doing anything bad, they mess with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer area are not blocked with food or containers. This is common because bags of frozen veggies get pushed in the back. There might be food in the back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten about.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To do this, unplug the refrigerator and pull it away from the wall. The cooling fan for a lot of models is right at the bottom or in the back part of the freezer unit. A lot of times, customers do not think to clean this section of the fridge. But, it’s very important to clean it. And, it fills up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in homes that have cats and dogs. So, find a clean rag and get the dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

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

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and then the fan circulates the cold air around inside the unit. The damper control assembly isn’t working the right way. The temperature control board carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably is not the issue but it is worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a tiny sensor inside the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best solution but these are some of the most common problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES