Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons for why a refrigerator is not cooling. If you would like to save yourself a little time and inconvenience, give Keen Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Baytown, TX. We’re happy to come out and troubleshoot the cooling problem and fix it for you.

When your refrigerator has lost its cold, it’s time to see what the issue could be. Often times it is something as common as a good coil cleaning behind the appliance. However, with new fridges, they’re equipped with various sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we look at the most common and common reasons for this issue. Here are a couple of of the issues that we have determined can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is it plugged in? This will seem like it is a odd question, but we’ve been called out to appointments that this was the issue. For some reason, it was not plugged in. Maybe a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the case might be, make sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a typical issue for anyone with small children in their home. After all, children love buttons and dials and so, without knowing they’re doing something wrong, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

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

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To do this, unplug the fridge and pull it away from the kitchen wall. The fan for a lot of models is just at the bottom or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. A lot of times, people do not think about cleaning this area of the refrigerator. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it piles up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with homes that have cats and dogs. So, grab a clean rag and clean the dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to check if the freezer is cold but your refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. 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 fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and the fan pushes the cold air around inside the unit. The damper control assembly is not working the right way. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably isn’t the issue but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor inside the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our repairmen inspect it is the best solution but these are a few of 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