Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator too warm

There are a few reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to spare yourself some time and inconvenience, give Sparks Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Sparks, NV. We’re happy to visit and troubleshoot the cooling problem as well as repair it for you.

When your refrigerator is no longer cold, it’s time to figure out what the issue might be. A lot of times it’s something as common as a routine coil cleaning behind the refrigerator. However, with these latest fridges, they are equipped with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we look at the most typical and easy causes for this issue. Here are some things that we’ve found lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is it plugged into an outlet? This will seem like a odd question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the issue. Somehow, the refrigerator was not plugged in. Maybe a kid unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the reason might be, make sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a common issue for families with children in the house. After all, kids love dials and buttons and so, without knowing they are doing anything bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature isn’t the cause of the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

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

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To be sure, unplug the fridge and pull it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for most models is right at the bottom or somewhere in the back of the freezer portion. A lot of times, people do not think to clean this section of the fridge. But, it is very important to clean it. And, it fills up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have pets. So, grab a clean rag and clean the collected dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling 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 notice if the fan moves.

The Freezer is Cold but the Fridge Isn’t

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these more common ones to start to take a look at if your freezer is cool but your fridge is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This occurs if there’s a failure in the defrost heating system. Or when the automatic defrost experiences a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what cool and then the fan pushes the cool air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working properly. The temperature control board that transports the electricity to the fan and compressor, this is not likely the problem but it’s worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a little sensor in the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best course of action but these are a few of of the most common problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES