Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator not cooling

There are a few reasons why a refrigerator will not cool. If you would like to spare yourself some time and inconvenience, give Lee’s Summit Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Lee’s Summit, MO. We’re happy to visit and diagnose the cooling problem and fix it for you.

When your refrigerator is no longer cold anymore, it’s time to see what the problem could be. Most times it is something as common as a routine coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with these latest models of refrigerators, they are equipped with various sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we monitor the most typical and simple causes for this problem. Here are a couple of issues that we’ve determined can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

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

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

Which Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Check that the vents inside of the freezer aren’t blocked with food or containers. This is common since frozen veggies get jammed in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the very back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten about.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the wall. The cooling fan for a lot of models is just at the bottom or somewhere in the back part of the freezer section. A lot of times, customers don’t think to clean this area of the appliance. But, it’s very important to clean it. And, it piles up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with homes that have cats and dogs. So, grab a rag and clean the built-up dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge is Not

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 your fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs when there’s a failure in the defrost heating system. Or when the automatic defrost has a problem. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and then the fan circulates the cold air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working properly. The temperature control board which provides the electricity to the fan and compressor, this is not likely the problem but it is worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor inside the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best course of action but these are some of the most typical issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES