What Could Be Causing My Refrigerator To Stop Cooling?

Man repairing fridge with customer

 

 

What Could Be Causing My Refrigerator To Stop Cooling?

Here are a few tips for refrigerator problem solving that will help you nitpick your issue if you notice that your fridge is not cooling. Some problems can be solved by a little bit of maintenance, and others will need a professional to fix, so to help, we have put together a list of the 6 reasons why your refrigerator is not cooling. The problems that may cause a refrigerator not cooling properly can be fairly straightforward and can be handled by yourself; however, some can be a bit trickier and will require professional intervention.

That is why, if your fridge is not adequately insulated, this can make the refrigerator appear not to be cooling at all. Just like in an ordinary fridge, a malfunctioning fan in the evaporator, or frozen evaporator coils, could result in the refrigerator compartment being hotter, even though the freezer compartment remains cool. As with evaporator coils, you will have to disconnect your refrigerator and take off the lid within the freezer to access the evaporator fan.

Check the fan shaft to see if the fan is spinning properly. If it is not, you will have to replace the fan assembly. Remove the rear access panel from the fridge, and find the fan, it will be near the compressor.

When a fridges coils are not defrosting on their own, fans cannot draw the air needed to keep your refrigerator cold. Ice, dust, and small objects falling behind the refrigerator may keep those fans from spinning freely. A damaged or frosted air vent fan will not effectively circulate air, and it may even make the refrigerator hotter.

For instance, problems with the evaporator coils and fans becoming covered with frost could be related to a malfunctioning thermostat. If the fan and coils are working, then a broken thermostat could be to blame for the insufficient cooling. If you can hear the compressor running, but the refrigerator is not cooling, it is most likely that a frozen evaporator coil is causing problems, or that a fan is jammed or broke.

If the fridge fan is still running, but the refrigerator is not cooling, either the compressor or compressor startup relay may be bad. If your condenser fan motor is bad, you may be getting colder fridge, but there is no cooling at all in freezer section.

The evaporator fan motor pulls air through the evaporator coils (the cooling part) and circulates that throughout the freezer and fridge compartments. The compressor is the part of the fridge that compresses and pushes the vapors from the refrigerant through coils on the outside of the fridge. The two crucial parts of your fridge we mentioned before that keeps your air cool are your compressor.
Your fridge contains two fans, which are an important part of how the device works, and if they are not working, it could be a reason why your refrigerator is not cooling well.

The purpose of a fan is to draw heat away from the condenser coils, and when the fan is not working, your refrigerator is not cooling down quite as much, and will therefore continue running for longer than necessary. The condenser fan is located in the cupboard on the bottom of your fridge, next to the compressor and condenser coils (note that cooler models that have their coils at the rear, rather than at the bottom, do not have fans). The condenser fans job is to keep the compressor and coils cool, so if one breaks, your refrigerator starts heating up.

Some newer refrigerator models are ice-free, with the condenser coils being kept cold by a fan. Any frost-free refrigerator has a defrost system, which controls the cooling and defrost cycles.
There can still be some cold due to ice on the coils, but without any airflow on the coils. This ice must be removed through manual or auto defrost (in a frost-free fridge) to get the cooling right within the fridge. If defrost heating unit is not working properly, the excess ice buildup over coils will decrease cooling airflow within refrigerator. If A defrost timer goes bad and stops working in the cooling mode, this causes excess frost accumulation on evaporator coils which reduces the air flow.

A malfunctioning defrost function may result in a frozen-over evaporator coil, and it will stop cooling the refrigerator properly. Frozen accumulations in your cooler may also clog the ventilation, decreasing or stopping the cool air reaching your coolers compartment.

If your freezer compartment is badly frosted, disconnect the fridge and open the freezer door to let the ice melt. If having your fridge doors open is the reason that is keeping your refrigerator from cooling, this process should resolve that stressful situation. Whether your fridge door is just not closing completely, or the seal itself is not airtight, trying to keep the refrigerator cold is a difficult task when all of this cold air is getting out.

If you installed an in-wall fridge in a garage, it is likely that your refrigerator will not cool as well, since garages do not have the controlled weather found in homes. Since your fridge is designed to keep food and beverages cool, we understand how frustrating it can be when the refrigerator is not cool enough. If your fridge is not cooling the way it should, it could be that one of these parts is dirty or in the wrong place.

If you actually do change out your fan evaporator or one of the parts that go with it, then you need to re-plug the fridge back in and check to make sure that the issue is fixed now. If the evaporator fan was working fine, but your coils are frozen for some other undetermined reason, then you might have to call in the professionals.

Clogged condenser coils may result in a bad air circulation, restricting the fridges ability to maintain cooling. Refrigerators and freezers also use fans to cool the refrigerant, drive away heat, and keep the air flowing.

To schedule refrigerator repairs in Oklahoma City contact Appliance Repair OKC Services by calling 405-378-4566 or visit our website at https://www.okcappliance.com to also our Google business page at https://cutt.ly/YEnc8qk. Call now!

 

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