Refrigerator Not Cooling: Causes, Quick Checks and Repair

First, save the food

• Keep doors closed. A closed fridge holds safe temperatures for about four hours.
• A full freezer holds for about 48 hours, a half-full one about 24.
• After that, move perishables into a cooler with ice.
• Throw out milk, meat, fish and leftovers that sat above 40°F for more than two hours.

Five quick checks before you call

1. Temperature settings. Fridge should be 37 to 40°F, freezer 0°F. Someone may have turned the dial to the warmest setting, or “demo mode” may be on.
2. Is it running? If the fridge is silent and the light is off, check the plug, outlet and breaker.
3. Doors and gasket. A door left ajar or a torn gasket leaks cold air.
4. Condenser coils. Pull the bottom or back grille. Dust and pet hair stop the coils from releasing heat. Unplug the fridge and vacuum them.
5. Air vents. Make sure food is not blocking the vents between the freezer and the fridge section.

If cooling comes back after cleaning the coils, you found it. Clean them twice a year.

Likely causes, from most to least common

Dirty condenser coils

The compressor runs all day but heat cannot escape. The fridge is slowly warm, and the back or bottom feels hot. Cleaning fixes it.

Failed evaporator fan

The freezer is cold but the fridge is warm. The fan that blows cold air from the freezer into the fridge has failed or is blocked by ice. A loud squeal or no sound at all from the back of the freezer points to this. It is a very common repair.

Defrost system failure

A failed defrost heater, defrost thermostat or control board lets frost build up on the evaporator. Frost chokes airflow, so the fridge section warms. You might see a thick frost wall on the back freezer panel. A technician replaces the heater or the sensor.

Start relay or overload

The compressor clicks, hums or tries to start and shuts off. The relay is small and cheap. This is one of the best repairs on the list.

Control board or thermistor

The fridge reads the wrong temperature or never calls for cooling. This is more expensive, often $300 to $500.

Compressor or sealed system

The compressor runs but does not cool, or refrigerant has leaked. This is sealed system work that needs a qualified technician and often costs $500 or more. It is the one fault where replacing the fridge can make sense.

What you should not do

• Do not open the back panels of the freezer and chip ice with a tool. You can pierce a refrigerant line.
• Do not unplug and replug the fridge many times. Wait five minutes between restarts to protect the compressor.
• Do not add refrigerant on your own. It is unsafe, and federal rules limit who may handle it.

What a technician does on the visit

The technician checks the temperature of the air at both sections, looks at the coils and fans, tests the defrost parts and listens to the compressor start sequence. A fault that needs only a fan, relay or heater is usually fixed that day. If a part must be ordered, you hear the price and timing first.

What it costs

Repair or replace

Under about 10 years old, repair nearly everything. At 12 to 17 years, repair fans, relays and heaters, but think hard about a compressor failure. Our cost guide shows the rule we use.

How it works

1. Call or send the brand, model and what the fridge and freezer feel like.
2. Call to check the next open appointment; availability depends on the schedule. Warm fridge calls are scheduled first.
3. Diagnosis and a clear price. The $60 is credited if you go ahead.
4. Repair and test. Ask what the repair includes when you book.

More on the whole appliance: refrigerator repair. Related: refrigerator leaking water, freezer repair, ice maker repair. We come to Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, Bensalem, Willow Grove, Abington, Huntingdon Valley, Southampton and Feasterville-Trevose.

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