A list of refrigerator repair tips for a fridge that’s not getting cold can be handy. Generally, waking up to realize your fridge is not cooling may be disturbing. In situations like this, the best action is to call for professional refrigerator repair. However, sometimes, a DIY fix can come in handy.
So, how do you diagnose and fix issues with a refrigerator? Well, in this blog, we unravel the possible refrigerator repair tips that will benefit your appliance. More importantly, we will show you why your refrigerator is not cold.
Even though no one enjoys troubleshooting home appliances, finding the reason behind the failure can help save your food and your refrigerator. Keep reading to learn what to do when your fridge stops getting cold.
Why Your Refrigerator Isn’t Getting Cold
Here are a few reasons why your fridge is not cold and how to fix them:
Airflow Restriction
Vents between your refrigerator and freezer may experience a blockage due to over-packing or ice. Unfortunately, when this blockage occurs, the airflow in your fridge becomes limited. At this point, you may notice your appliance isn’t keeping a temperature cool enough to freeze your food or ice cream.
Fortunately, you can quickly fix this by determining if the food or ice storage has blocked the vents. Locate the vents, clean the leftovers or ice build-up sticking in it, and you’re good to go.
If over-packing the refrigerator is the issue, you can easily remove objects blocking the vents or rearrange it.
On the other hand, if ice is responsible, unplug the freezer and defrost the ice. This will allow you to remove the ice obstruction and open up the vents.
Evaporator Fan
An evaporator fan is a component that circulates the frosty air entering your freezer and refrigerator. Therefore, if the fan malfunctions, your refrigerator will not get cold again.
Part of learning how to fix a refrigerator that isn’t getting cold is troubleshooting the evaporator fan. Typically, the fan is often placed at the back of the refrigerator. This means you can examine it by removing the rear cover panel. If the blade’s movement isn’t smooth, check it properly.
It may be that an object is obstructing its path. Another issue that can arise from that is if the motor that powers the rotation refuses to function appropriately. If this is the case, you may need the services of a fridge repair expert in Toronto.
The Air Damper
An air damper controls the extent of frost air circulating between the fridge and the freezer. However, if the air damper malfunctions, it’ll affect the fridge’s temperature.
Although this may not affect the coldness of the freezer, it may contribute to your appliance’s lukewarmness. If the damper is jammed, frosty air will not be able to travel from the freezer to the fridge.
If your fridge isn’t getting cold, a helpful refrigerator repair tip is to find the location of the damper and examine it. The damper is usually located between the freezer and the fresh food compartment in your refrigerator.
To fix this issue, remove all screws holding the damper cover together and raise the air damper. Also, pull the covers off for easy removal of the air damper. Then, locate and remove the thermostat sensor around the damper.
Remove any ice bucket in the freezer if you have one. After that, locate the motor that holds the compartment together, unscrew and unplug it. This will enable you move the compartment aside without hindrance.
Also, loosen the clips holding the air damper in place and unscrew the rear duct panel. Get a new air damper, remove the old one, and install the new one. While installing the new one, ensure to return all the compartments you removed in the process.
The Refrigerator Condenser Coils
If you’re wondering how to fix a refrigerator that isn’t getting cold, check the condenser coils. Generally, the hot gas from the compressor moves up to the evaporator coils via the condenser windings. However, the refrigerant freezes after travelling at high pressure through the loops and turns back into a liquid form.
Blocked condenser coils can restrict your refrigerator’s cooling ability due to the poor circulation of air. The coils are placed on the back or over the bottom of the refrigerator. They stretch across the compressor and towards the fridge.
Fortunately, you can easily clean clogged coils to avoid further issues and make sure your fridge gets cold again. To clean the coil, unplug the freezer from the power output before raising the toe grill.
Please check your owner’s manual to see the appropriate way to remove the toe grills. This is because some toe grills require additional steps than just pulling it off. Also, you can wipe out the dust using a coil brush.
Conclusion
If your fridge is not getting cold, the components behind the fault may be the refrigerator condenser coils or the evaporator fan. The appliance repair tips we discuss above can get your fridge working again.
Ultimately, the tips above are somewhat easy fixes. However, don’t get too puzzled if you’ve never fixed appliances before. Involve professionals before it’s too late and save yourself the stress of spending hours fixing your refrigerator.
