My Fridge Isn’t Cold! 5 Refrigerator Repair Solutions

Did you know that refrigerators are crucial to keeping vaccines safe and effective? In that way alone, refrigeration equipment contributes to saving lives.

In homes and businesses, refrigerators play an integral role in preventing food spoilage. Moreover, these appliances help enhance food availability, leading to lower food prices.

So, finding out that your fridge isn’t cold can spark panic, especially if you just loaded it a few days ago. It can be even more worrisome if you live in Las Vegas, where the heat can hasten food spoilage.

Before you get anxious, though, know that there are a few simple steps on how to fix a fridge that doesn’t cool. In many cases, the root cause is easy to remedy with some fridge cleaning and purging.

To that end, we created this guide listing the top culprits behind a non-cooling fridge. Read on as we also rounded up a few of the fixes you can try before you call a refrigerator repair expert.

1. Incorrect Thermostat or Cold Control Setting

In older refrigerators, the thermostats are knobs found inside the appliance. They have numbers on them, indicating the cooling level (such as from 1 to 5, with 5 being the coldest). In more modern fridges, the control can be a digital button or touch panel right outside the fridge door.

So, if you have temperature-related refrigerator issues, check this control first. Someone may have accidentally bumped the knob, knocking it down to the lowest setting. If you have a digital thermostat, make sure it’s set to cool mode and not off.

2. Overloaded Fridge

A recent survey revealed that 60% of folks in the US forget about their leftovers in the fridge. That’s despite almost the same percentage of people saying they hate wasting food.

The thing is, all that food stocked and stuck in your fridge can be contributing to its cooling woes. For starters, stacked-up containers can hinder the airflow within the appliance. As a result, the cold air can’t circulate efficiently, so some parts of your fridge won’t get cold.

Overloading your fridge can also block its vents, resulting in improper air circulation.

Check the contents of your fridge to see which leftovers you can still eat and which ones you should throw. According to health experts, leftovers stored in the fridge are safe to eat within three to four days. From there, they can be a food poisoning risk.

3. Defective Gasket

A refrigerator gasket is a seal that runs along the perimeter of the appliance’s door. A gasket’s role is to create an air-tight seal to ensure the cool air stays inside the fridge. If you have a French-style fridge, each door would have a gasket.

Over time, fridge gaskets can get caked up with dirt, debris, dust, grease, grime, and in some cases, even molds. Those layers of filth can lead to the gasket forming an incomplete seal. As a result, some of the cold air from inside the appliance can escape.

If you only have dirty gaskets, you can simply wipe them down with some soap and water. Use a fresh piece of damp cloth to rinse them and another to dry them well. Your fridge doors should now close completely.

If you have an older fridge, the gasket may already have sustained damages like cracks and holes. The seal may also now be too brittle or worn to create an effective seal. In this case, it’s best to call a fridge repair service to get the defective gasket replaced promptly.

4. Residue Build-up on Refrigerator Coils

Refrigerator coils dissipate heat drawn from within and generated by the appliance. Like any other surface in your home, these coils can also develop layers of dust and debris. If you have pets, their fur and dander can cover these fridge components, too.

If you allow those coils to get filthy, they’ll have a hard time releasing heat. In this way, the residue acts like a jacket, which prevents the heat from escaping the coils.

The thing is, heat dissipation is crucial to a refrigerator’s effective operation. If it can’t give off heat, the appliance’s interior temperature will suffer. What’s more, it can start to consume about 35% more energy than its normal usage.

So, if your fridge won’t cool even if it’s in the correct setting or it’s not overloaded, the coils may be to blame.

Fortunately, cleaning the coils may be as simple as vacuuming or brushing away the filth. Be sure your fridge remains unplugged as you do this since you don’t want to get an electrical shock.

5. Busted Refrigerator Fans or Motor

Modern frost-free refrigerators usually have two fans. One is the condenser fan; the other is the evaporator fan. Both fans are crucial to the efficient cooling and performance of your fridge.

So if one or both of these fans fail, your fridge’s interior temperature will become unstable. It may stop cooling altogether. The same can occur if your fridge’s motor (the compressor) is on its last legs.

If your fridge makes weird noises aside from not being cold, take this as a sign to call in the pros. A repair technician can determine if you have a faulty fan or motor, and from there, fix the issue pronto.

Try These Easy Troubleshooting Steps if Your Fridge Isn’t Cold

As you can see, many of the possible reasons your fridge isn’t cold have to do with dirt and debris. So if your fridge control is in the right setting, you may just have overloaded it, or you only need to give it a deep clean.

If your fridge still doesn’t get cold enough or its exterior gets too hot, you may have more serious problems. In that case, please know that our team of repair specialists here at Appliance Doctor can help. Get in touch with us now, and we’ll be happy to bring your fridge back to its tip-top shape!