Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are several reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you would like to save yourself some time and hassle, give Griffin Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Torrance, CA. We are happy to visit and diagnose the cooling problem and correct it for you.

When your refrigerator is no longer cold anymore, it is time to determine what the issue might be. Often times it’s something as basic as a good coil cleaning. But, with these latest fridges, they’re equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we inspect the most common and easy reasons for this problem. Here are some issues that we have found lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

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 issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician doing a service visit. Whatever the reason might be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a typical problem for those with children in their house. After all, kids are fascinated with dials and buttons and so, without understanding they are doing something bad, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature is not the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

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

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the kitchen wall. The fan for most models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back part of the freezer unit. Many times, people don’t think to clean this section of the refrigerator. But, it is very important to clean it. And, it clogs up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with houses that have dogs and cats. So, find a rag and get the dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge is Not

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

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

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a little sensor within the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best option but these are a few of 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