How Do I Fix My Refrigerator If It Is Not Getting Cold?

One day you may find that your refrigerator does not produce cold anu more. This means that all the food in the fridge can spoil within the next few hours. In our article, we offer a list of some of the most common reasons why the refrigerator does not work and how to fix them.

What Would Cause a Refrigerator to stop getting Cold?

The Most Obvious Reasons

As a general rule, you should first check the most simple and obvious reasons why your refrigerator is no longer working.

Firstly, always check, if it is plugged into the outlet.
And even if it is, unplug it for about 1-2 minutes then plug back in.
It also might happen that someone tugged at the cord and stopped it from working.
Broken cord. If it is a broken cord, we recommend you unplug the refrigerator and place a jumper wire between the two wires coming out of the cord.
Check temperature control inside the refrigerator. Resetting the temperature control can often solve the fridge’s cooling problems.

Some More Complicated Reasons

But, you may also face more complicated reasons why your refrigerator stop to produce cold.

Check ambient temperature

Outside temperatures may affect your appliances, so if it is in a garage or some other place without heating, it could break. If you think this might be the issue, relocate the appliance.

Check the door seals for gaps, cracks, or tears

Colds air inside your appliance needs to be properly isolated from outside temperatures. Double-check that the seal on the door is tight and there’s no gap between the seal and the sides of the cabinet. If there are gaps at the bottom of the door, pull it towards you using your fingers and adjust the seal so that these openings are eliminated. Replace the old seal if any gaps remain.

Overloading the appliance

Your fridge needs good circulation of air in order to function properly. If it’s overloaded, this can block the airflow inside the cabinet meaning that cool air isn’t getting to parts of the fridge. Unload some of the food inside and make sure there’s a nice airflow going around before you shut it off so everything will be safe to eat later.

Check the vents

It’s important to make sure that the ventilation inside your fridge is working properly. The vents prevent hot air from collecting inside. If the vents are clogged with dirt, lint or dust, then you’ll need to clean them out before use. In order to keep your fridge running smoothly we recommend checking and cleaning them regularly.

Check the internal light

If you’ve got internal lighting on your appliance, the bulb should go out when the door is closed. Close the fridge slowly & see if it goes off. If not – that means that while you’ve got the fridge running it could be generating enough warmth to keep the bulb lit even if you close it.

Dirty condenser coils

There might be a blockage of some kind in the cooling coils. The condenser coils can collect dirt, dust and hair over time which can affect how well they cool the refrigerant that is passing through. This would result in the fridge not having enough cooling effect and eventually stop.

If you are still having issues with your refrigerator getting cold again please feel free to contact a local appliance repair company such as Appliance Repair Service.

Compressor is not working

So, if the sound stops for good, or if the sound goes from faint to a constant or very loud humming noise that does not shut off, it may be a sign the compressor is broken or malfunctioning. If this is your issue, check the followings:

The compressor may be out of juice. You can test this with a voltage meter.
If the sound is still faint and you’re still hearing the humming, then it may be that something has caused the compressor to stop working. First, check whether the compressor is plugged in properly. If it is not plugged in, unplug it and plug it back in. Then try flipping on your breaker switch and turning on your power switch. If you still hear the humming and are not seeing or hearing any compressor moving, then it is likely that something has caused the motor to stop working. It could be that something has fallen onto the motor causing it to stop turning. If this is your issue, try carefully inspecting your unit to ensure nothing has fallen onto it causing a power interruption while it was running and causing a stop. At that point, it will be necessary to have your unit serviced by a repairman.

Conclusions

As you can see, there are number of reasons why your refrigerator is not producing cold. Starting from elementary ones – unplugged from the socket or the door not closed – and ending with very serious ones, such as a compressor breakdown. Some of them you can fix by yourself, but some will require the help of a professional. Before buying a new compressor, you also need to consider whether your refrigerator is quite used and you should buy a completely new refrigerator, not a separate compressor. We wish you success in solving problems with your refrigerator!