Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons a refrigerator won’t cool. If you would like to spare yourself some time and burden, give A&L Tempe Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Tempe, AZ. We are happy to visit and diagnose the cooling issue as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it is time to see what the issue is. Often times it’s something as basic as a routine coil cleaning. But, with these modern fridges, they are equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we monitor the most typical and easy reasons for this problem. Here are some issues that we have found can lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is it plugged in? This will seem like it is a funny question, but we have been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the issue. Somehow, it was not plugged in. it’s possible a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the cause might be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a very typical issue for those with children in the home. After all, kids love dials and buttons and so, without understanding they’re doing something bad, they mess with them. So, check that the thermostat setting is not the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer area aren’t blocked with food or containers. This is very common since bags of frozen vegetables get jammed in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the way back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the wall. The fan for many models is just at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back of the freezer portion. Many times, people do not think to clean this section of the appliance. But, it’s important to keep it clean. And, it builds up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in homes that have dogs and cats. So, get a clean rag and get the collected dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are a few more reasons for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to start to check if the freezer is cold but your fridge is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens when there’s a malfunction in the defrost system. Or when the automatic defrost has an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another cause.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what gets cold and then the fan moves the cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly working correctly. The temperature control board carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this isn’t likely the problem but it’s worth troubleshooting.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Ice Maker Isn’t Working
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Refrigerator is Noisy
• Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working