Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

There are many reasons why a refrigerator won’t cool. If you want to spare yourself some time and inconvenience, give J&L Thousand Oaks Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Thousand Oaks, CA. We are happy to visit and diagnose the cooling issue as well as repair it for you.

When a refrigerator is not cold anymore, it is time to see what the issue is. Most times it’s something as simple as a routine coil cleaning. However, with modern fridges, they are equipped with a variety of sensors too.

Before we investigate further, we monitor the most typical and simple reasons for this problem. Here are some things that we have determined can lead to a refrigerator not cooling:

Is it plugged into an outlet? This may seem like it’s a silly question, but we have been hired for jobs that this was the reason for the problem. For some reason, the refrigerator was unplugged. it’s possible a a pet did it, or an electrician doing a service visit. Whatever the cause might be, make sure it’s plugged in.
Check the thermostat inside of the appliance. This is a common issue for customers with children in their home.

After all, kids love dials and buttons and so, without knowing they are doing something bad, they play with them. So, check that the thermostat setting isn’t the reason for the warm fridge.

Refrigerator Components to Inspect?

Be sure each of the vents in the freezer area aren’t blocked with food or containers. This is very common since frozen vegetables get stuck in the back. There could be food in the very back of a freezer unit that has long been forgotten.

Be sure the refrigerator’s condenser cooling fan is clear and clean of debris. To be sure, unplug the refrigerator and slide it out from the wall. The cooling fan for most models is just at the bottom or somewhere in the back part of the freezer portion. Many times, people don’t think to clean this section of the fridge. But, it is very important to clean it. And, it builds up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially in homes that have pets. So, get a rag and clean the built-up dust out of the refrigerator coils and cooling fan.

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

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Refrigerator is Not

There are several causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these obvious ones to take a look at if the freezer is cold but your refrigerator isn’t. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens if there’s a failure in the defrost 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 coils are what cool and the fan circulates the cold air throughout the appliance. The damper control assembly is not working properly. The temperature control board transports the electricity to the compressor and fan, this isn’t likely the issue but it’s worth troubleshooting.

And, the thermistor might be malfunctioning, which is a small sensor within the unit that tells the temperature. Having one of our repairmen look at it is the best option 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