Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a few reasons for why a refrigerator won’t cool. If you want to spare yourself some time and burden, give Lancaster Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Lancaster, CA. We’re happy to visit and diagnose the issue and correct it for you.

When your refrigerator isn’t cold, it’s time to figure out what the problem might be. A lot of times it is something as basic as a good coil cleaning. But, with these modern fridges, they’re equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most typical and common reasons for this problem. Here are a few of of the issues that we have determined can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is the refrigerator plugged in? This might seem like it’s a funny question, but we’ve been called out to jobs that this was the issue. Somehow, it was unplugged. Maybe a kid unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a service visit. Whatever the cause may be, be sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the appliance. This is a very common issue for families with small children in the home. After all, kids are fascinated with buttons and dials and so, without knowing they’re doing something bad, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat setting is not the reason for the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Check that the vents in the freezer area aren’t blocked with food or boxes. This is very common since bags of frozen veggies get pushed in the back. There can be food in the back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten about.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the wall. The fan for a lot of models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back part of the freezer unit. Many times, homeowner don’t think about cleaning this area of the appliance. But, it’s important to clean it. And, it piles up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with houses that have cats and dogs. So, get a clean rag and clean the built-up dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to start to take a look at if your freezer is cold but the refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens when there’s a failure in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and the fan pushes the cool air around inside the unit. The damper control assembly working properly. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this isn’t likely the problem but it’s worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a tiny sensor in the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen inspect 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