Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons why a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to spare yourself a little time and inconvenience, give Total Toledo Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Toledo, OH. Our repairmen are happy to visit and troubleshoot the cooling issue and fix it for you.

When a refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it is time to determine what the issue could be. Most times it’s something as basic as a good coil cleaning. But, with new refrigerators, they’re manufactured with various sensors as well.

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

Is it plugged in? This might seem like a odd question, but we’ve been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the problem. For some reason, it was unplugged. Maybe a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the cause might be, be sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a very common problem for families with small children in the home. After all, kids love 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 Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents inside the freezer area aren’t blocked with food or containers. This is common because sometimes bags of frozen veggies get pushed in the back. There might be food in the way back of a freezer that has been forgotten.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To check this, unplug the refrigerator and pull it away from the wall. The fan for several models is just at the bottom or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. A lot of times, homeowner do not think to clean this area of the refrigerator. But, it is important to clean it. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in houses that have dogs and cats. So, get a clean rag and clean the dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are several causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to check if the freezer is cold but the refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs if there’s a failure in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost has a problem. The evaporator fan motor is another cause.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and then the fan moves the cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly isn’t working properly. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this is not likely the problem but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a little sensor within the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best solution 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
• Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working