Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to save yourself some time and burden, give Campbell Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Arlington, VA. Our technicians are eager to come out and diagnose the issue as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator is no longer cold anymore, it is time to determine what the problem is. Most times it’s something as basic as a routine coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. However, with these new fridges, they are equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we monitor the most common and simple reasons for this problem. Here are some of the things that we have determined can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is the cord plugged in? This will seem like it’s a silly question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the issue. For some reason, it was not plugged in. it’s possible a a pet did it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the reason may be, make sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a common problem for those with small children in their home. After all, kids are fascinated with dials and buttons and so, without knowing they’re doing anything wrong, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Check that the vents in the freezer area are not blocked with food or containers. This is common because sometimes bags of frozen vegetables get pushed in the back of the freezer. There could be food in the way back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To check this, unplug the fridge and slide it out from the wall. The cooling fan for several models is right at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. Often times, customers don’t think to clean this area of the fridge. But, it’s very important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in houses that have pets. So, get a clean rag and clean the collected dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

There are several reasons for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to check if your freezer is cold but your fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens because there is a malfunction in the defrost system. Or when the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and then the fan circulates the cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly is not working correctly. The temperature control board provides the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably is not the issue but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a little sensor within the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen inspect it is the best option 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