Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons a refrigerator is not cooling. If you would like to spare yourself a little time and inconvenience, give Martin Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Spokane, WA. Our repairmen are happy to come out and diagnose the cooling issue and repair it for you.

When your refrigerator is no longer cold anymore, it is time to see what the issue is. Often times it’s something as simple as a good coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with these new models of refrigerators, they’re manufactured with various sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we monitor the most common and easy causes for this issue. Here are a couple of issues that we’ve found can lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is the refrigerator plugged into an electrical outlet? This may seem like it is a silly question, but we have been called out to jobs that this was the problem. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the reason may be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a very common problem for customers with children in the home. After all, children like buttons and dials and so, without knowing they’re doing anything bad, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat setting isn’t the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Refrigerator Components to Troubleshoot?

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

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To do this, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the wall. The cooling fan for a lot of models is right at the bottom or in the back part of the freezer portion. Many times, customers don’t think about cleaning this area of the fridge. But, it is very important to clean it. And, it piles up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in homes that have cats and dogs. So, grab a clean rag and get the collected dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to take a look at if your freezer is cold but the refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs because there’s a failure in the defrost heating system. Or the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another cause.

Every refrigerator has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and the fan moves the cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly working correctly. The temperature control board which carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this isn’t likely the problem but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a little sensor inside the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best course of action but these are a few of of the most common problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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