Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are a variety of reasons a refrigerator isn’t cooling. If you would like to save yourself some time and inconvenience, give Bellevue Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Bellevue, WA. We are eager to come out and troubleshoot the problem as well as fix it for you.

When a refrigerator isn’t cold, it’s time to figure out what the issue might be. A lot of times it’s something as common as a good coil cleaning. But, with modern models of refrigerators, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors too.

Before we look too deep, we inspect the most typical and simple causes for this problem. Here are a couple of of the issues that we have determined can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is it plugged in? This might seem like it’s a odd question, but we’ve been hired for appointments that this was the problem. Somehow, the refrigerator was not plugged in. it’s possible a kid unplugged it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the cause may be, make sure it’s plugged in.

Check the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a very common issue for anyone with small children in their house. After all, kids like dials and buttons and so, without understanding they’re doing anything bad, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature is not the cause of the warm fridge.

Which Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Be sure the vents in the freezer aren’t blocked with boxes or food. This is common because frozen vegetables get jammed in the back. There can be food in the very back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for most models is right at the bottom or somewhere in the back part of the freezer portion. A lot of times, homeowner don’t think about cleaning this area of the refrigerator. But, it’s important to clean it. And, it piles up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially with houses that have cats and dogs. So, get a rag and get the collected dust out of the refrigerator coils and fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are many reasons for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to take a look at if your freezer is cold but your fridge isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This occurs when there’s a failure in the defrost heating system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

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

And, the thermistor might be defective, which is a tiny sensor within the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our repairmen inspect it is the best course of action but these are some 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