Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator not cold

There are a lot of reasons why a refrigerator will not cool. If you would like to save yourself some time and burden, give Excel Kent Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Kent, WA. Our technicians are eager to come out and diagnose the cooling issue and repair it for you.

When a refrigerator is not cold, it’s time to see what the problem could be. Most times it’s something as simple as a routine coil cleaning behind the appliance. However, with these new refrigerators, they’re manufactured with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most typical and easy causes for this problem. Here are some things that we have found lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is it plugged into an outlet? This will seem like a odd question, but we’ve been called out to jobs that this was the problem. Somehow, it was unplugged. it’s possible a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician doing a service visit. Whatever the reason may be, be sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a typical issue for families with children in the home. After all, children love buttons and dials and so, without knowing they are doing anything bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting isn’t the reason for the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

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

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and pull it away from the wall. The fan for many models is just at the bottom of the appliance or in the back part of the freezer unit. Often times, homeowner do not think to clean this section of the refrigerator. But, it’s important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in homes that have pets. So, grab a clean rag and clean the built-up dust out of the coils and fan.

This is not suggested for refrigerators that have a rear coil system. Once everything is clean, plug it back into the outlet and see if the cooling fan moves.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are several reasons for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to take a look at if your freezer is cold but your refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens when there is a failure in the defrost heating system. Or if the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every refrigerator has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and the fan moves the cold air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working properly. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this is not likely the problem but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a tiny sensor inside the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best option but these are a few of of the most common issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES