Kitchen Tips

Why Is My Refrigerator Not Cooling? 12 Causes and How To Fix

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Be it fresh vegetables and fruits and leftover food items, refrigerators keep them all cool and fresh. So, they allow us to enjoy them anytime we want. That's not all, this electric device prevents the potential wastage of food and vegetables. 

But the trouble knocks on the door when your helpful refrigerator is not cooling. The cause could be any and it gets daunting to figure out without the guide. No worries! Your guide is here. Now, read the mentioned causes behind it and fix the issue.

Reasons Why Your Refrigerator Is Not Cooling And How To Fix It

Here, find 12 causes why your electric appliance is not cooling the air. Go through each reason and find the ways to fix them. 

But keep in mind that some causes demand the attention of an expert, doing it all may even worsen the situation. If you feel that this is not what you can do, it is better to ask for help. 

1. Setting Wrong Temperature

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One of the common issues that affect the coolness in the refrigerator is not setting the right temperature. An ideal temperature should be set between 37ºF to 40ºF as it ensures a proper cooling atmosphere inside. That way the foods and vegetables stay fresh. 

But when the temp is not set right, it doesn't generate the required coolness leading to spoilage of foods. And this is a very common thing we tend to do.

How to fix

  • Find the temperature setting in your refrigerator and adjust the temperature to 40ºF or lower.
  • For an easy guide, read the manual of the refrigerator because the settings may vary based on brands and their models. 

2. Overcrowded Refrigerator

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Every appliance has its own capacity for certain things and beyond that it can not function properly. The same thing goes with the refrigerator.

When we keep on stuffing it with a lot of items the space gets crowded making it hard for the cool air to pass through all the items. As a result, the refrigerator doesn't fully cool the vegetables inside. 

How to fix

  • The first thing we need to understand is the capacity of our refrigerator. It must be written in the manual of the appliance so read it.
  • Then, load the vegetables, foods, and drinks in such a manner that each item gets to live in the cool air.

3. Blocked Vents

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Vents are the way for cold air to flow from the freezer to the fridge compartment. That's how the cooling temperature is created inside the appliance. But when they get blocked, disbalances in temp start to surface resulting in warmer air. 

The reason for blocked vents could be the overstuffing of food items or ice buildup. Refrigerators with blocked vents cause the cooling system and compressor to put more effort. This results in the consumption of high energy and overheating of some essential components of the refrigerators. 

How to fix

  • First, try re-managing the food items not only in the refrigerator but in the freezer too. 
  • If it still did not work out then there might be ice build-up around the vents.
  • So, locate the vents which are normally found along the back wall. You can read manuals for an easy way to do that.
  • Then, remove any ice that blocks the vents carefully. 
  • To remove the ice, empty the refrigerator and leave the door open until the ice melts fully.
  • Use kitchen towels and clean everything around the vents.
  • Avoid placing any food items near the vents that might block the air and lead to not cooling again. And make sure the power is off throughout this whole process. 

4. Faulty Door Gaskets

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The door gasket is a rubber pipe that is wrapped around the edges of a refrigerator. This pipe works as a barrier for air. It traps the cool air inside and prevents the hot air from entering inside maintaining a constant cooling temp. 

So, if the gasket gets cracked, worn, dirty, or loose, it influences the inside temperature. Faulty gaskets mean hot air enters and cool air goes out which leads the refrigerator to not cool. 

How to fix

  • Very firstly, unplug the fridge's power cord for safety purposes. 
  • Open the refrigerator's door, and you'll see a flexible pipe around the edges. 
  • Carefully inspect the pipe, if there are signs of cracks or tearing it means there's a need to replace the gaskets.
  • To replace the gaskets, buy a new one and install it by removing the old gaskets. You'll need to do it carefully otherwise, the installation may not work. If needed give a call to an expert. 
  • In case of any dirt or debris on the pipe, clean it with a saltwater solution and there's no need to change the gaskets. 
  • Soak the gentle scrubber in the saltwater and gently rub on the gaskets until cleaned properly. 

5. Evaporator Fan Motor Malfunction

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This fan motor circulates cold air to the refrigerator all the way from the freezer's section. As the fan motor stops working, cool air doesn't distribute equally making the freezer cold while the refrigerator stays warm without cooling. 

A malfunctioned fan motor also be the cause why your refrigerator making noises like grinding or squeaking. Sometimes the refrigerator runs continuously with no cooling air. So, these are the signs to note in case of a faulty evaporator fan motor. 

How to fix

  • First, let's locate the motor by turning off the appliance for safety. You can find it in the back of the freezer behind a panel.
  • There comes a freezer shelf which is like a wired tray so remove it from there and move towards the evaporator cover. 
  • Get some screwdrivers and unscrew the evaporator cover then pull it off.
  • You'll see some pairs of wires, disconnect each wire one by one. 
  • After that, the motor fan is usually behind the fan cover so take the cover out.
  • To get access to the motor, separate the fan blade.
  • Next, remove and replace the evaporator fan motor by installing a new one. 
  • Reinstall the fan blade to its original place and re-assemble other parts including wires back to their house. 
  • Once done, plug the refrigerator power cord in and see if it works.  
  • This work demands some skills so if you're not able to do it alone, it is a good idea to call an expert. 

6. Power Supply Issues

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It is obvious that electric appliances rely on power supply for their functioning. Simply the name power supply is not enough. It's stability is the main thing here. If the power is not stable, the refrigerator won't cool the air. 

This issue could be from various reasons- a damaged or loose power cord, or malfunctioned electrical outlet. 

How to fix

  • Check the socket or power cord, if it is loose then plug it properly.
  • Look for the signs of any damage. if the cord is damaged or burnt, get a new one. 
  • Despite this, if it still doesn't fix the issue, try plugging in the cord to the next power outlet as there might be a fault with the previous one.
  • Also, take a look at the power meter in your home. The main issue could be the insufficient supply of power in the meter so ensure a stable supply of power. 
  • After all this, the refrigerator not cooling means the issue could be in other parts. For this, you'll need to call an expert's help. 

7. Dirty Condenser Coils

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Condenser coils in the refrigerator help vanish the heat that is generated by the compressor. This process enables the appliance to maintain an ideal cooling temperature inside of it. 

Over time, the coils get covered with dust and debris, then they don't effectively dissipate the heat. In turn, the fridge has to work harder and does not cool the air as required. This also leads to the issue of refrigerators not making ice

How to fix

  • Stop the power supply first for safety.
  • The coils could be located at the back or beneath the appliance so read the device's manual for this.
  • Once locating the target, access the condenser coils by removing the front grill. 
  • Next, brush out the debris or dirt on the coils. In case of stubborn ones, use a damp cloth to wipe them off.
  • Make sure that you clean the condenser coils gently.
  • Re-assemble the parts and put back the grill.
  • This should solve the issue regarding coils, otherwise, you should call an expert. 

8. Ice Buildup

Source : netmums

Ice buildup could be another reason why your refrigerator is not cooling properly. Normally, this issue occurs in the freezer compartment rather than the refrigerator.

Because the freezer section has evaporator coils that cool the air so there's a high chance of building ice frost. If the ice is not removed on time, it gets collected and disturbs the cooling effect inside.

This issue may arise if the deforest system is not working correctly or if the frequent opening of the fridge's door as this also warms the air. 

How to fix

  • Melt the build-up ice on the coils. To do this, leave the fridge door open for a few hours by turning off the power supply.
  • Once the ice clears, wipe off the remained moisture using a kitchen towel.
  • Look for the frost or debris in other parts and clean them properly.
  • After doing this, if the ice frost collects quickly that means there might be some issue with the defrost system. It requires an expert's eye to check the system. 

9. Power Control Board Issues

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The power control board is almost the main driver in the refrigerator. Because it manages some major parts such as motor fan and compressor. 

A well-functioning control board receives inputs from sensors and sends that input to the refrigerator to cool as required. But when there comes a problem with this board, it fails to transmit the right signals as a result the appliance can not cool the air. 

How to fix

  • Start with turning off the power supply to the refrigerator.
  • Locate the control board which you can find behind a panel on the back side of the fridge and remove that panel.
  • After the panel, you can see a plastic cover that protects the power control board so, remove that one too. 
  • Search for damage or burns, if there is then the replacement of a power control board is the only solution.
  • Unscrew the bolts and carefully pull off the old power board.
  • Next, attach the new one and secure it properly with the bolts. 
  • Bring all other parts back to their place and there you finish the whole process. 
  • As for the corrosion, brush it off with a corrosion remover brush. In this case, the installation of a new board is not necessary. 

10. Compressor Problems

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The compressor is a main player in the case of refrigerators. It smoothly flows the refrigerant through the system and clears the heat out of the appliance, cooling the air inside.

So, any problems like overheating or malfunction are why the refrigerator is not working properly.

An unhealthy compressor puts more effort than usual to function and it obstructs the refrigerant from passing through the evaporator coils. As a result, the heat stays in the fridge causing it to warm and disrupt the cooling process. 

How to fix

  • Safety first so take the plug out from the socket. 
  • Find where the compressor is in your fridge. Normally, it is housed at the back side of the device close to the bottom part. 
  • Make a way to the compressor by removing its outer panel. 
  • Before going to the compressor, check the start relay. If there are any burns or damage or signs of loose wire, then fix that first. 
  • In case of damaged start rely, change it with the new one. When done, re-assemble the parts and test the refrigerator if it's working. Sometimes the start relay which is placed with the compressor might be the one causing the not cooling issue. 
  • But if it still did not fix the issue, then the compressor could be the one. 
  • Take a multimeter and test the wire connecting to the compressor. if the meter shows digits it's working otherwise it says the issue with the compressor.
  • For this, it is best to call an expert instead of doing it all by yourself since handling the compressor is skilled work.  

11. Improper Installation

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This is the most common but overlooked issue when installing the refrigerator. This electric appliance needs some space on its back side for the airflow. Because that part gets heated quickly and air helps it maintain a coolness there. 

But when that space is not there the compressor overworks due to stuck heat in that area causing issues in cooling the inside air. 

How to fix

  • Look for an area that at least has 2-3 inches of space for the back side of the device.
  • Ensure the fridge is placed evenly. Otherwise, this may disrupt the proper closing of the door which again affects the cooling function. 
  • Also, keep the space around the sides and top of the refrigerator as they also get heated when running.
  • Proper airflow in those areas ensures the well-being of the appliance. 
  • Avoid placing stuff on top of the refrigerator. 

12. Faulty Capacitor

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A capacitor is what keeps the compressor running. Basically, it gives a kickstart to the compressor as an electrical boost. So, in case of a faulty capacitor, the compressor doesn't receive the boost and takes time to start.

Even if it starts, this may not go well for long because the compressor can't pass the refrigerant properly. This results in the collection of heat in the appliance and affects the cooling function. 

How to fix

  • Disconnect the power supply to the refrigerator. 
  • Find the location of the capacitor in the fridge. Normally, it sits close to the compressor or could be attached to the start relay. 
  • Take a multimeter to test the capacitor if there's no digital continuity in the multimeter then it shows a defective one. 
  • In case of a defective capacitor, replace it with a new one. The new capacitor must match the requirements of your refrigerator. Consult with an expert if you don't know much about these things.
  • Once the new capacitor is replaced, restore everything to its place and observe the coolness in the device. 
  • If it's really the capacitor that disturbed the whole function then it should work now. Or it indicates other issues in the refrigerator.