Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons why a refrigerator is not cooling. If you want to spare yourself some time and hassle, give Smithtown Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Smithtown, NY. Our technicians are happy to visit and troubleshoot the issue as well as fix it for you.

When a refrigerator is no longer cold anymore, it’s time to determine what the problem is. Often times it’s something as simple as a good coil cleaning. However, with latest refrigerators, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most typical and easy reasons for this issue. Here are some things that we have determined lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is it plugged into an electrical outlet? This will seem like a odd question, but we’ve been hired for appointments that this was the problem. For some reason, the refrigerator was not plugged in. Maybe a kid did it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the case might be, make sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a common issue for customers with children in the house. After all, children love dials and buttons and so, without understanding they are doing something wrong, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting isn’t the cause of the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Be sure the vents inside the freezer are not blocked with food or containers. This is common since frozen veggies get jammed in the back of the freezer. There can be food in the back of a freezer that has long been forgotten.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To check this, unplug the fridge and pull it out from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for a lot of models is right at the bottom or somewhere in the back of the freezer section. Many times, customers do not think to clean this section of the fridge. But, it’s very important to clean it. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with homes that have pets. So, grab a clean rag and get the collected dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are a few more reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to take a look at if the freezer is cold but your refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs because there’s a failure in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another cause.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and the fan moves the cool air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly isn’t working correctly. The temperature control board which transports 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 small sensor within the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best option but these are some of the most typical issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Ice Maker Isn’t Working
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Refrigerator is Noisy
• Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working