Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a lot of reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to save yourself some time and burden, give Acclaim Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Indiana. We’re eager to come out and troubleshoot the problem and correct it for you.

When your refrigerator isn’t cold, it’s time to see what the issue might be. Often times it’s something as simple as a good coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with modern models of refrigerators, they’re equipped with various sensors too.

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

Is the refrigerator plugged in? This might seem like a silly question, but we have been called out to jobs that this was the problem. Somehow, it was not plugged in. Maybe a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the cause might be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a very typical problem for those with children in the home. After all, children like dials and buttons and so, without knowing they are doing something bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting isn’t the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Be sure the vents in the freezer are not blocked with food or boxes. This is very common since sometimes bags of frozen veggies get jammed in the back. There can be food in the way back of a freezer unit that has long been forgotten about.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To do this, unplug the fridge and pull it out from the kitchen wall. The fan for many models is just at the bottom or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. Many times, customers do not think to clean this section of the appliance. But, it is very important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in homes that have dogs and cats. So, find 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 everything is clean, plug it back into the wall and notice if the fan spins.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

There are many causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to check if your freezer is cool but your refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs when there is a failure in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another cause.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and then the fan circulates the cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly is not working properly. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this isn’t likely the issue but it is worth troubleshooting.

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