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Why Is Your Refrigerator Not Cooling?
Imagine, if on a hot summer afternoon, you open your refrigerator, in anticipation to enjoy a glass of chilled juice, but you find that your refrigerator is not cooling. What an unpleasant moment! Although you might need professional assistance for some of the refrigerator cooling problems, do not call the repairman right away. You might be able to fix the problem on your own. We at Oceanside Appliances Repairs have compiled for you a list of our DIY (Do it yourself) ideas in case your refrigerator stops cooling. They are certainly worth a try. The ideas can help you avoid any embarrassing conversation with a repair technician and from unnecessary repairing charges.
Check The Following 8 Refrigerator Parts
1. Make Sure the Refrigerator is Plugged in Properly
It might sound meaningless but a number of people are quick to call repairman without checking if their refrigerator is even getting the power. Sometimes the switch becomes loose in the socket. To check if the refrigerator is getting power or not, open the door, and check if the light turns on. If it doesn’t, then check if the switch is plugged in tightly in the socket.
2. Check if the Thermostat is set to Appropriate Temperature
This might seem useless but bear with us. Locate your thermostat and check that it is set to the right temperature. The thermostat inside the refrigerator at times gets jolted by some items. This changes the already set temperature. The thermostat for refrigerators is usually located inside the refrigerator or in the back. Check if it is set at the right temperature. If not, reset it.
3. Test the Door Gaskets
Even if the rest of your refrigerator works fine, if the “door gaskets”, the seals on the doors, are torn, cool air from inside the refrigerator can escape. Door gaskets can get inelastic over time. This decreases their ability to form a tight seal and they start leaking warm air into your refrigerator. Check the doors and gaskets. Does when you close the door? If the light in the refrigerator does not turn on and off when you close the door, the gaskets might not be working properly. Time to replace the door gaskets.
4. Ensure that the Air Vents Aren’t Blocked:
Cold air circulates to and from through vents that run between the refrigerator’s freezer compartment and the fridge compartment. When something blocks the airflow, the refrigerator experiences shifting temperatures. Frost buildup in the freezer can block a vent. This prevents cold air from reaching the refrigerator’s freezer compartment. If your refrigerator’s freezer compartment has heavily buildup frost, unplug the refrigerator. Open the freezer door and allow the frost to melt. Once the frost melts, plug the refrigerator back and now witness better cooling. Also, boxes of food or items jam-packed against the vent can obstruct the circulation of cold air through your refrigerator. It is, therefore, advised that you organize the items in your refrigerator in such a manner that there are little spaces in between for cold air to circulate easily.
If you have gone through the above-mentioned checklist and your refrigerator is still not cooling, you might be facing a more complicated problem.
5. Clean the Condenser Coils
Condenser coils are located through the bottom of the refrigerator or on the back. They run from the compressor to the freezer. They carry the hot refrigerant gas produced by the compressor to the evaporator coils. As the gas travels through the coils at high pressure, it cools and turns into a liquid. This results in clogged condenser coils. Clogged coils cause poor circulation of air, which in turn restricts the refrigerator’s ability to remain cool.
If the condenser coils are clogged, they need a cleaning. You can easily do it on your own. Unplug the refrigerator and remove the toe grille. Use a coil brush to knock off the dust collected over condenser coils. Then reinstall the toe grill.
6. Clean the Condenser Fan
The condenser fan is located in the bottom cabinet by the compressor and the condenser coils. It is worth noting that refrigerators with condenser coils on the back do not have a condenser fan. The condenser fan is responsible for cooling the compressor and condenser coils as they work. The fan must run when the compressor runs. If the condenser fan does not work properly, the refrigerator’s temperature can rise and the compressor can overheat.
Therefore, make sure that the condenser fan is spinning freely and is not obstructed by any object. Dust and other objects can prohibit the blades from spinning. Clean the fan carefully.
7. Replace Condenser Fan Motor
If the blades still do not spin, replace the condenser fan motor. Unhook the mounting screws holding the fan in place and remove that assembly from the motor compartment with great caution. Take off the mounting bracket that is holding the old motor, replace it with the new motor.
8. Change the Evaporator Fan
The evaporator fan is installed behind the freezer wall. Empty your freezer of items and shelves so that you can access it. The evaporator fan is responsible for blowing the cool air. It pulls the air across the evaporator coil, cools it down, and then pushes the air through the refrigerator. If the evaporator fan does not work, the refrigerator would not produce cool air. Check it yourself. If the fan isn’t working, replace the fan motor.
If You Still Can’t Figure Out The Problem
If the problem persists after trying all the fixes listed above, your refrigerator might be on the last leg. There are times when your refrigerator goes beyond the point of return. In such cases, it will cost you less amount of money to buy a new refrigerator instead of spending on repairing the current one. But how can you tell whether your refrigerator is on its last leg, or it just needs a tune-up? The common rule of thumb is that whenever the cost of repair exceeds the cost of buying a new refrigerator, go for the new one. Check out a list of the Best Refrigerator brands to buy for future reference when purchasing your next refrigerator.
Check Out Other Appliance Blog Post We Have Posted.
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