Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons a refrigerator won’t cool. If you want to spare yourself a little time and hassle, give Same-Day Skokie Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Skokie, IL. Our repairmen are happy to come out and diagnose the cooling problem and fix it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold, it’s time to determine what the problem might be. A lot of times it is something as common as a routine coil cleaning. However, with latest fridges, 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 some issues that we’ve found can lead to a refrigerator that won’t cool:

Is it plugged in? This will seem like a funny question, but we’ve been called out to appointments that this was the issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was not plugged in. it’s possible a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician while doing a project. Whatever the case might be, make sure the refrigerator is plugged in.

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

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Check that the vents inside of the freezer are not blocked with food or containers. This is common since bags of frozen vegetables get pushed in the back of the freezer. There could be food in the way 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 check this, unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the kitchen wall. The fan for many models is just at the bottom of the appliance or in the back of the freezer portion. Many times, homeowner don’t think to clean this section of the refrigerator. But, it is important to keep it clean. And, it clogs up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in houses that have cats and dogs. So, get a rag and clean the built-up dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are many reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to check if the freezer is cool but the refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens if there’s a failure in the defrost heating system. Or the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor is another reason.

Every fridge has a set of evaporator coils. These coils are what cool and the fan moves the cold air around inside the unit. The damper control assembly working properly. The temperature control board that provides the electricity to the fan and compressor, this isn’t likely the problem but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be defective, which is a small sensor inside the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best option but these are a few of of the most typical problems.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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