Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons for why a refrigerator isn’t cooling. If you want to spare yourself a little time and burden, give L&C Virginia Beach Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Virginia Beach, VA. Our repairmen are happy to visit and diagnose the issue and fix it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold, it’s time to figure out what the problem is. Often times it’s something as simple as a routine coil cleaning behind the appliance. However, with new refrigerators, they are equipped with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we look too deep, we monitor the most common and easy reasons for this issue. Here are some of the things that we have determined can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is the refrigerator plugged into an electrical outlet? This will seem like it is a odd question, but we have been called out to appointments that this was the reason for the issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. Maybe a kid did it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the reason might be, be sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a very typical problem for anyone with children in their house. After all, children love buttons and dials and so, without understanding they are doing anything bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat setting isn’t the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer are not blocked with boxes or food. This is very common since frozen veggies get jammed in the back of the freezer. There can be food in the back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten about.

Be sure the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To check this, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The fan for a lot of models is just at the bottom of the appliance or somewhere in the back of the freezer unit. Many times, customers don’t think about cleaning this section of the refrigerator. But, it is very important to keep it clean. And, it clogs up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have pets. So, grab a clean rag and clean the dust out of the coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are a few more causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these more common ones to start to check if your freezer is cool but your fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens when there is a malfunction in the defrost heating system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another cause.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and the fan circulates the cool air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working properly. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the fan and compressor, this isn’t likely the issue but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a little sensor within the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians 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