Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a lot of reasons for why a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to save yourself some time and inconvenience, give Elite Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in East Orange, NJ. We are happy to visit and diagnose the cooling problem and correct it for you.

When a refrigerator is not cold anymore, it is time to determine what the problem might be. A lot of times it’s something as common as a routine coil cleaning. However, with these new models of refrigerators, they’re equipped with various sensors as well.

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

Is it plugged in? This might seem like it is a odd question, but we’ve been hired for appointments that this was the issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was not plugged in. Maybe a kid did it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the reason may be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a common problem for families with children in the home. After all, kids love buttons and dials and so, without knowing they’re doing something bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature isn’t the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents inside the freezer area aren’t blocked with food or boxes. This is common because sometimes frozen vegetables get jammed in the back. There can be food in the very back of a freezer that has been forgotten about.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and slide it out from the wall. The cooling fan for most models is just at the bottom of the appliance or in the back of the freezer portion. Often times, homeowner do not think about cleaning this area of the appliance. But, it’s very important to keep it clean. And, it fills up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with homes that have pets. So, get a clean rag and clean the built-up dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are many reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to take a look at if your freezer is cold but your fridge is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This occurs if there is a failure in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another cause.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what gets cold and then the fan pushes the cool air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly isn’t working the right way. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this isn’t likely the issue but it is worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor within the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best solution but these are a few of of the most typical problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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