Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons for why a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to save yourself some time and burden, give Cherry Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Virginia. Our repairmen are eager to come out and troubleshoot the cooling issue as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator has lost its cold, it’s time to see what the issue might be. Often times it’s something as basic as a routine coil cleaning. But, with these latest models of refrigerators, they’re manufactured with a variety of sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we inspect the most typical and easy causes for this issue. Here are some things that we’ve determined can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the refrigerator plugged in? This might seem like it is a funny question, but we’ve been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the problem. For some reason, it was unplugged. Maybe a kid did it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the reason may be, be sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. 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 bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting isn’t the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Be sure each of the vents in the freezer are not blocked with food or containers. This is common since frozen vegetables get stuck in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the very back of a freezer that has long been forgotten about.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To check this, unplug the fridge and pull it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for most models is right at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. Many times, homeowner don’t think about cleaning this area of the fridge. But, it’s important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in houses that have cats and dogs. So, grab a rag and get the dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are several reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to take a look at if your freezer is cold but your refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens if there’s a failure in the defrost system. Or when the automatic defrost has a problem. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

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

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a little sensor within the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best solution but these are some 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