Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator not cold

There are a variety of reasons for why a refrigerator is not cooling. If you want to spare yourself a little time and burden, give Hoboken Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Hoboken, NJ. Our repairmen are happy to come out and diagnose the problem as well as repair it for you.

When your refrigerator has lost its cold anymore, it is time to determine what the problem could be. A lot of times it is something as common as a good coil cleaning behind the appliance. However, with latest models of refrigerators, they are manufactured with various sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we monitor the most common and common reasons for this problem. Here are some things that we have determined lead to a refrigerator that will not cool:

Is the cord plugged in? This might seem like it is a funny question, but we’ve been hired for appointments that this was the issue. For some reason, it was not plugged in. Maybe a a pet unplugged it, or an electrician doing a project. Whatever the reason might be, be sure it’s plugged in.

Look at the thermostat inside. This is a common problem for customers with children in the house. After all, kids are fascinated with buttons and dials and so, without knowing they’re doing anything wrong, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat setting is not the cause of the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Troubleshoot?

Be sure the vents inside of the freezer area are not blocked with food or containers. This is very common because sometimes bags of frozen veggies get stuck in the back of the freezer. There can be food in the back of a freezer that has been forgotten.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of all debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it away from the wall. The fan for most models is right at the bottom of the appliance or in the back part of the freezer section. A lot of times, customers don’t think about cleaning this section of the refrigerator. But, it’s very important to clean it. And, it fills up with fuzz and dust quickly, especially in homes that have pets. So, get a rag and get the built-up dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are many causes for a refrigerator that won’t cool after these more common ones to check if the freezer is cold but the refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils are frosted over. This happens because there is a failure in the defrost heating system. Or the automatic defrost has a problem. The evaporator fan motor can be another cause.

Every refrigerator has a pair of evaporator coils. These evaporator coils are what cool and the fan moves the cool air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly isn’t working the right way. The temperature control board which carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this is not likely the issue but it is worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor inside the appliance that tells the temperature. Having one of our technicians inspect it is the best option but these are a few of of the most common issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES