Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator not cooling

There are a variety of reasons for why a refrigerator won’t cool. If you would like to spare yourself some time and hassle, give New Rochelle Appliance Repair ASAP a call for refrigerator repair in New Rochelle, NY. Our technicians are happy to visit and troubleshoot the issue as well as correct it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold anymore, it is time to figure out what the issue might be. A lot of times it is something as basic as a routine coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with these modern fridges, they are equipped with various sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most typical and easy causes for this problem. Here are some of the issues that we’ve found lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the cord plugged into an electrical outlet? This may seem like it’s a funny question, but we’ve been hired for appointments that this was the issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was not plugged in. it’s possible a kid did it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the cause may be, be sure it is plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a very typical problem for anyone with small children in their house. After all, children love buttons and dials and so, without knowing they are doing anything bad, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting is not the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Be sure all of the vents inside of the freezer area aren’t blocked with boxes or food. This is common since frozen vegetables get stuck in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the way back of a freezer that has been forgotten.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and pull it out from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for several models is right at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back of the freezer portion. Many times, homeowner do not think to clean this area of the refrigerator. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it fills up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have dogs and cats. So, grab a rag and clean the built-up dust out of the coils and fan.

This is not recommended for refrigerators that have the rear coil system. Once everything is clean, plug it into the wall and monitor if the fan moves.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are a few more reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to take a look at if your freezer is cool but the refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This occurs when there’s a failure in the defrost system. Or when the automatic defrost experiences a problem. 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 appliance. The damper control assembly isn’t working the right way. The temperature control board which provides the electricity to the compressor and fan, this is not likely the issue but it’s worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor inside the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best option but these are a few of of the most common problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES