Troubleshooting a Fridge That Won't Cool

A refrigerator is one appliance that you will find in every modern household. Thanks to the invention of the fridge, you can keep perishable foods cold and help them last longer.

Opening the door of your fridge to find that it isn't cooling properly can be a major cause for concern.

Before you assume that you need a new fridge altogether, decide if the following three repairs will help restore the function of your refrigerator.

1. Clean the Condenser Coils

Your refrigerator relies on condenser coils to help dissipate heat. Liquid refrigerant runs through the condenser coils and heat radiates outward. Without this release of heat, your fridge cannot run properly.

Dirty condenser coils make it difficult for heat to escape. As a result, your fridge has to work harder to remain cool. The dirtier the coils become, the less capable your fridge is of maintaining a cool temperature.

An experienced appliance expert will be able to access the condenser coils underneath your fridge and give them a good cleaning to help your fridge get cold again.

2. Replace the Thermostat

A temperature control thermostat inside your fridge helps to control the electrical voltage that gets to the compressor, evaporator, and condenser fan motors.

When you lower the temperature setting in your fridge, more voltage is sent to these various motors to begin a cooling cycle that will bring the interior of the fridge to your specified temperature. If the thermostat becomes faulty, this could prevent your fridge from staying cool.

A repair technician can use a multimeter to determine how well the thermostat is performing, and replace a faulty thermostat to restore your fridge's ability to cool.

3. Replace the Evaporator Fan Motor

The evaporator fan is responsible for drawing air over your fridge's cooling coils and circulating it throughout the fridge and freezer. Should this fan experience motor problems, your fridge won't cool properly.

One of the easiest ways to determine if your cooling problems are caused by a faulty evaporator fan motor is to check your freezer. It's common for the freezer to stay ice cold while the fridge temperature rises when the evaporator fan motor goes bad.

You can have a sub-zero appliance repair professional check to determine if the entire motor needs to be replaced, or if only the motor windings have failed.

Try to troubleshoot your existing fridge when it won't cool properly to avoid the major expense of purchasing a new refrigerator. For more information, reach out to a service such as North Shore Appliance Repair.