Refrigerator Not Cooling? 7 Things to Check Before You Call

A refrigerator that stops keeping food cold puts everything inside it on the clock. The good news is that many cooling complaints come down to simple causes you can check yourself in a few minutes. Here are seven, in roughly the order a technician would consider them, plus when to stop troubleshooting and book a repair.

Before you start, put a fridge thermometer (or any kitchen thermometer in a glass of water) on a middle shelf and leave it for a few hours. Health Canada recommends keeping the fresh food compartment at 4°C or colder and the freezer at -18°C or colder. A real reading tells you far more than the setting on the dial.

1. Dirty or blocked condenser coils

The condenser coils release the heat your fridge pulls out of the cabinet. When they're coated in dust, pet hair or lint, the system runs longer and cools less. On many freestanding fridges the coils sit behind the front kick plate at the bottom; on older models they're on the back, and on many built-in units they're behind a grille at the top.

Unplug the fridge or switch off its breaker first, then remove the grille and gently vacuum the coils with a brush attachment. Don't bend the fins or poke at tubing. Homes with pets or dusty locations need this more often.

2. Worn or dirty door gaskets

A door that doesn't seal lets warm, humid air in all day. Run your hand around the edge of a closed door to feel for drafts, and look for gaps, tears or a gasket that has gone flat or stiff. A quick test is to close the door on a strip of paper; if it slides out with no resistance at several points, the seal is weak.

Wipe sticky residue off the gasket with warm, soapy water. If the door itself sags or doesn't close on its own, the fridge may need levelling or the hinge may need adjusting.

3. Blocked vents and an overpacked fridge

Most fridges cool the fresh food section by blowing cold air from the freezer through a vent or air channel. If a tall container, a bag of greens or a pile of frozen goods is pressed against that vent, the fridge can feel warm even though the system is working. Give the vents a few centimetres of space.

A packed-solid fridge also blocks circulation, while a nearly empty one can struggle to hold temperature after the door opens. Aim for full but not crammed.

4. Temperature settings and recent changes

Settings get bumped, especially on touch controls. Also check that the fridge hasn't been switched to a vacation, Sabbath or showroom (demo) mode, which on many brands keeps the lights and display on while the cooling stays off. Your owner's manual will show how to exit these modes.

After changing a setting, give the fridge a full 24 hours to settle before judging the result. A fridge that was just installed, moved or restarted after a power outage can also take most of a day to reach temperature.

5. Signs of a defrost problem

Frost-free fridges melt away frost from the evaporator coil on a timer. If a heater, sensor or control in that system fails, ice gradually builds up until air can't pass through. Common signs include:

• A thick layer of frost or ice on the back wall of the freezer
• A freezer that's cold while the fridge section is warm
• Water pooling under crisper drawers, or ice forming in the drain area

You can unplug the fridge for a day with the doors open and towels down to melt the ice, which often restores cooling for a while. Don't chip at ice with knives or other sharp tools, since puncturing a refrigerant line turns a fixable problem into a much bigger one. If the frost comes back, the defrost system needs to be diagnosed.

6. Fan noises, or no fan at all

Most fridges have an evaporator fan inside the freezer and a condenser fan near the compressor. Open the freezer door and press the door switch: on many models you should hear or feel air moving. A fan that squeals, grinds, chirps or stays silent while the compressor is running is a strong clue. Ice rubbing against the evaporator fan blade is also a common source of noise and points back to a defrost issue.

Fan motors sit behind panels near wiring, so this is a good point to call a technician rather than open things up.

7. When it's a sealed-system issue

If the coils are clean, the doors seal, the fans run and the settings are right, but the fridge still won't get cold, the problem may be in the sealed system: the compressor, refrigerant lines, evaporator or condenser. Warning signs include a compressor that runs constantly with little cooling, a compressor that clicks on and off without starting, an oily residue near tubing, or a hissing sound that doesn't stop.

Sealed-system repairs involve handling refrigerant, which must only be done by trained, certified technicians with the proper recovery equipment. A technician can also tell you honestly whether the repair makes sense for the age and type of your fridge.

Protecting your food in the meantime

Keep the doors shut as much as possible. An unopened fridge typically keeps food safe for about four hours without cooling, and a full freezer can hold for roughly two days (about one day if it's half full). Move medication, dairy and raw meat to a cooler with ice if the repair will take longer. When in doubt, throw it out.

Getting help

If you've worked through this list and your fridge still isn't cooling, our technicians diagnose and repair everything from standard top-mounts to built-in columns. Learn more about our refrigerator and freezer repair service, or book a visit and tell us what you've already checked.