Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

not cooling refrigerator

There are many reasons for why a refrigerator won’t cool. If you would like to spare yourself some time and hassle, give Elite Honolulu Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Honolulu, HI. We’re happy to come out and diagnose the cooling problem as well as correct it for you.

When your refrigerator isn’t cold anymore, it is time to see what the problem is. A lot of times it’s something as simple as a routine coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. However, with latest refrigerators, they’re manufactured with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we monitor the most common and easy causes for this issue. Here are a few of of the issues that we’ve found lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is the refrigerator plugged in? This may seem like it is a odd question, but we have been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the issue. Somehow, the refrigerator was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet did it, or an electrician while doing a service visit. Whatever the reason might be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside. This is a typical problem for families with children in their home. After all, kids like dials and buttons and so, without understanding 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?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer area aren’t blocked with boxes or food. This is common because bags of frozen vegetables get pushed in the back of the freezer. There might be food in the way back of a freezer that has been forgotten about.

Check that the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To do this, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for many models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back of the freezer unit. Many times, people don’t think about cleaning this area of the refrigerator. But, it’s very important to clean it. And, it clogs up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have dogs and cats. So, grab a rag and get the collected 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 outlet and see if the cooling fan moves.

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are many reasons for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these obvious ones to take a look at if your freezer is cool but your refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This occurs when there’s a malfunction in the defrost system. Or the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

Every refrigerator has a set of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what cool and then the fan moves the cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly working properly. The temperature control board carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this probably isn’t the issue but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor within the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best course of action but these are some of the most common issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES