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 Valor Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Grapevine, TX. Our technicians are happy to come out and troubleshoot the problem and repair it for you.

When your refrigerator isn’t cold anymore, it’s time to determine what the issue is. Most times it is something as common as a routine coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. But, with these new refrigerators, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we monitor the most typical and common reasons for this issue. Here are some issues that we’ve found can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is the cord plugged into an outlet? This might seem like a silly question, but we’ve been called out to appointments that this was the issue. Somehow, the refrigerator was unplugged. Maybe a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the cause may be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the appliance. This is a very typical issue for customers with small children in the home. After all, kids are fascinated with dials and buttons and so, without knowing they’re doing something wrong, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature isn’t the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Check that the vents in the freezer are not blocked with food or boxes. This is common since bags of frozen veggies get pushed in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the very back of a freezer that has long been forgotten about.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The fan for most models is just at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back of the freezer portion. Often times, customers do not think about cleaning this area of the refrigerator. But, it is important to clean it. And, it fills up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in houses that have dogs and cats. So, get a rag and get the collected dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

There are many reasons for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to check if the freezer is cool but the refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens because there’s a malfunction in the defrost heating system. Or the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

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

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a little sensor within the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best course of action 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