Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator too warm

There are a few reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to save yourself some time and hassle, give Tru Trenton Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Trenton, NJ. We’re happy to visit and troubleshoot the cooling issue and correct it for you.

When your refrigerator is no longer cold, it is time to determine what the issue might be. Most times it is something as simple as a routine coil cleaning. But, with modern models of refrigerators, they’re equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we inspect the most common and easy causes for this problem. Here are some of the issues that we have found lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is the refrigerator plugged into an electrical outlet? This may seem like a funny question, but we’ve been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the issue. Somehow, the refrigerator was not plugged in. it’s possible a kid did it, or an electrician while doing a service visit. Whatever the reason might be, make sure it is plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a common issue for families with children in the house. After all, children are fascinated with buttons and dials and so, without knowing they’re doing anything wrong, they play with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer aren’t blocked with food or boxes. This is very common because sometimes bags of frozen vegetables get stuck in the back. There could be food in the very back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten about.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the wall. The fan for several models is right at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back part of the freezer portion. Often times, homeowner do not think about cleaning this section of the fridge. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in houses that have pets. So, find a rag and get the collected dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are many causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to take a look at if the freezer is cool but your fridge isn’t. 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 can be another cause.

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

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor in the unit that displays the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best course of action but these are a few of of the most typical issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES