Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons for why a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to spare yourself a little time and hassle, give Jacobs Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Massachusetts. Our technicians are happy to visit and diagnose the cooling problem and repair it for you.

When a refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it’s time to determine what the issue might be. Most times it is something as simple as a good coil cleaning behind the appliance. But, with modern models of refrigerators, they are manufactured with various sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we inspect the most common and easy causes for this issue. Here are a few of of the things that we have found lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is it plugged in? This will seem like a odd question, but we’ve been called out to jobs that this was the problem. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. Maybe a kid unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the cause might be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a common problem for customers with small children in the house. After all, kids like buttons and dials and so, without knowing they are doing something bad, they mess with them. So, check that the thermostat setting isn’t the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Check that each of the vents inside of the freezer area are not blocked with food or containers. This is common because sometimes bags of frozen veggies get jammed in the back. There could be food in the very back of a freezer that has long been forgotten about.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To do this, 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 portion. Many times, homeowner don’t think about cleaning this area of the fridge. But, it’s important to clean it. And, it clogs up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in homes that have pets. So, grab a rag and get the built-up dust out of the coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are many reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to check if the freezer is cool but your fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens if there is a malfunction in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every refrigerator has a set of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what cool and then the fan pushes the cold air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working the right way. The temperature control board that transports the electricity to the compressor and fan, this probably is not the issue but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a small sensor within the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best option but these are some 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