Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are many reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you would like to spare yourself some time and hassle, give Manchester Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Manchester, NH. Our technicians are happy to come out and diagnose the problem as well as fix it for you.

When your refrigerator has lost its cold, it’s time to figure out what the problem could be. A lot of times it’s something as basic as a good coil cleaning. But, with these latest models of refrigerators, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we inspect the most typical and simple reasons for this issue. Here are a couple of of the things that we have found can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is it plugged into an outlet? This will seem like it is a silly question, but we’ve been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the problem. Somehow, it was unplugged. Maybe a child or pet unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the cause might be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a common problem for families with children in their home. After all, kids like dials and buttons and so, without understanding they’re doing anything wrong, they mess with them. So, check that the thermostat temperature isn’t the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Check that the vents inside the freezer aren’t blocked with boxes or food. This is common because bags of frozen veggies get jammed in the back of the freezer. There could be food in the back of a freezer that has long been forgotten about.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and pull it away from the wall. The fan for many models is right at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back part of the freezer portion. Often times, homeowner do not think about cleaning this section of the appliance. But, it is very important to clean it. And, it piles up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in houses that have pets. So, find a rag and get the collected dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

This is not recommended for refrigerators that have a back coil system. Once all clean, plug it back into the wall and notice if the fan moves.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator Isn’t

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

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

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a tiny sensor inside the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best option but these are a few of of the most typical issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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