Why is My Refrigerator Not Cooling?

refrigerator too warm

There are a variety of reasons a refrigerator will not cool. If you want to save yourself a little time and burden, give Done-Right Davie Appliance Repair a call for refrigerator repair in Florida. We’re happy to visit and troubleshoot the cooling issue as well as repair it for you.

When your refrigerator isn’t cold, it is time to determine what the problem could be. Often times it is something as basic as a routine coil cleaning. But, with these new refrigerators, they are manufactured with a variety of sensors as well.

Before we investigate further, we look at the most common and easy causes for this issue. Here are a couple of of the issues that we’ve determined lead to a refrigerator not cooling:
Is the refrigerator plugged in? This will seem like it is a silly question, but we have been called out to jobs that this was the issue. For some reason, the refrigerator was not plugged in. it’s possible a child or pet did it, or an electrician during a project. Whatever the reason might be, make sure it’s plugged in.
Check the thermostat inside of the unit. This is a common problem for anyone with small children in their home. After all, kids love dials and buttons and so, without understanding they’re doing anything wrong, they mess with them. So, be sure that the thermostat temperature isn’t the reason for the warm refrigerator.

Which Refrigerator Parts to Inspect?

Be sure all of the vents in the freezer are not blocked with containers or food. This is very common since sometimes bags of frozen vegetables get jammed in the back of the freezer. There can be food in the back of a freezer unit that has been forgotten.
Check that the condenser cooling fan is clean and clear of debris. To do this, unplug the fridge and slide it away from the kitchen wall. The cooling fan for several models is right at the bottom or in the back part of the freezer unit. Many times, homeowner don’t think about cleaning this section of the fridge. But, it’s important to keep it clean. And, it clogs up with dust and fuzz quickly, especially with houses that have cats and dogs. So, get a rag and get the dust out of the coils and cooling fan.
This is not suggested for refrigerators that have a rear coil system. Once everything is clean, plug it into the wall and notice if the cooling fan spins.

The Freezer Unit is Cold but the Fridge is Not

There are several causes for a refrigerator not cooling after these more common ones to check if your freezer is cold but the refrigerator is not. The evaporator coils have frost on them. This happens if there is a malfunction in the defrost system. Or if the automatic defrost experiences an issue. The evaporator fan motor can be another reason.

Every fridge has a pair of evaporator coils. These coils are what gets cold and then the fan pushes the cold air throughout the unit. The damper control assembly working the right way. The temperature control board that carries the electricity to the compressor and fan, this isn’t likely the problem but it’s worth mentioning.

And, the thermistor could be malfunctioning, which is a tiny sensor within the appliance that displays the temperature. Having one of our technicians look at it is the best solution but these are some of the most common issues.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES