Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons a refrigerator isn’t cooling. If you want to save yourself a little time and hassle, give Hialeah Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Hialeah, FL. Our technicians are happy to come out and troubleshoot the cooling problem as well as fix it for you.

When a refrigerator is not cold, it’s time to determine what the problem might be. A lot of times it is something as basic as a routine coil cleaning. However, with these new fridges, they are manufactured with various sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we monitor the most common and easy causes for this problem. Here are some of the issues that we’ve found lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is it plugged in? This may seem like it is a silly question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was not plugged in. Maybe a child or pet did it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the cause may be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside of the refrigerator. This is a very common issue for anyone with children in the house. After all, kids are fascinated with buttons and dials and so, without knowing they are doing anything bad, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat setting is not the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Check that the vents in the freezer area are not blocked with containers or food. This is very common because sometimes bags of frozen vegetables get stuck in the back of the freezer. There can be food in the very back of a freezer that has been forgotten about.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To check this, unplug the fridge and slide it away from the wall. The cooling fan for most models is just at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. Often times, homeowner don’t think to clean this area of the appliance. But, it is important to clean it. And, it piles up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in homes that have dogs and cats. So, get a clean rag and clean the built-up dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

This is not a suggestion for refrigerators that have a back coil system. Once all clean, plug it into the wall and notice if the fan spins.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are many causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these more common ones to take a look at if the freezer is cold but the fridge is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs when there’s a failure in the defrost system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and the fan moves the cold air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working correctly. The temperature control board provides the electricity to the compressor and fan, this probably is not the problem but it is worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a little sensor inside the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best option but these are some 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