Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are several reasons a refrigerator won’t cool. If you want to spare yourself a little time and burden, give Noble Alexandria Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Alexandria, VA. Our repairmen are eager to come out and diagnose the problem and correct it for you.

When a refrigerator is no longer cold, it’s time to figure out what the issue is. Most times it’s something as common as a good coil cleaning. But, with new models of refrigerators, they are equipped with various sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most common and common reasons for this issue. Here are a couple of of the things 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 jobs that this was the problem. Somehow, the refrigerator was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet did it, or an electrician during a service visit. Whatever the reason might be, be sure it is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a common problem for families with small children in the home. After all, kids like buttons and dials and so, without understanding they are doing anything bad, they mess with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Be sure each of the vents inside the freezer area aren’t blocked with containers or food. This is very common since bags of frozen veggies get stuck in the back. There could be food in the back of a freezer that has long been forgotten.

Check that the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and pull it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for many models is just at the bottom of the appliance or in the back part of the freezer portion. Often times, homeowner do not think about cleaning this area of the fridge. But, it is important to clean it. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have dogs and cats. So, get a clean rag and clean the dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are many causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to start to check if the freezer is cold but the fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens if there’s a failure in the defrost system. Or when the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

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

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a tiny sensor in the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best course of action 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