Have you ever opened your refrigerator in the morning to find warm milk and soft butter? At some point in life, it’s happened to most of us, and it’s never fun. Refrigerators are such an important part of our daily lives that it’s important to get them fixed quickly. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, there are a number of potential causes for your refrigerator not cooling properly that you’ll want to investigate. If you’re not a do-it-yourselfer, you’ll want to find an appliance repair company near you who can get to you quickly, and offers same day service.

When your refrigerator stops cooling properly, or if it stops cooling altogether, there are a number of potential causes.  

Cause #1: Condenser coils. Condenser coils dissipate heat from your refrigerator as refrigerant runs through the coils. Your condenser coils are either located at the back of your refrigerator, or beneath your refrigerator, accessed through an access panel. When coils get dirty, they can’t effectively release heat, causing poor refrigerator performance. If your coils are dirty, it’s time to clean them. Need tips on cleaning your refrigerator coils? We’re happy to answer your questions.

Cause #2: Condenser fan motor. The condenser fan runs while your refrigerator’s compressor is running. The function of the condenser fan is to circulate air over the condenser coils, and compressor, helping to keep both the compressor and refrigerant cool. If you hear the compressor running, but your refrigerator isn’t cooling properly, it could be that your condenser fan stopped working. The first thing to do would be to check the fan blade to make sure it spins freely. The condenser fan is located next to the compressor. If nothing is blocking the blades, and you can spin the fan freely, it’s likely time to replace the fan.  

Cause #3: Compressor. The compressor circulates the refrigerant through the condenser coils. If you’re handy with a multimeter, you can test the compressor for continuity, if you suspect the compressor isn’t working. If not, a professional refrigerator technician can help diagnose and safely perform the compressor replacement.  This is definitely not a do-it-yourself refrigerator repair.

Cause #4: Thermostat. The temperature control thermostat is effectively an on/off switch for your compressor, and fans. If it isn’t working correctly, it may prevent your refrigerator from running altogether. One test you can do is to dial the thermostat back to the lowest (warmest) setting. Next, rotate it towards the coolest setting. You should hear a click. If you don’t hear a click, it’s likely time for replacement.

Cause #5: Start relay. The start relay is critical to starting up your compressor. A failing start relay could cause your compressor to not start, or work intermittently. The result is either no cooling, inconsistent cooling, or a refrigerator that just can’t seem to get cool enough. Again, with a multimeter, you can check the continuity of your start relay. One simple test you can perform is a smell test. If it smells like a burnt electrical component, it’s time to replace it.

Cause #6: Evaporator fan. The evaporator fan is what circulates the cool air throughout your refrigerator and freezer. There’s a good chance you have more than on evaporator fan in your refrigerator. The first place to look is in your freezer. Again, test the fan by rotating it by hand. Does it spin freely? Is anything obstructing the blades? If the answer is no, you’ll likely need to replace your evaporator fan.

Cause #7: Start capacitor. The start capacitor provides the electricity that is needed to power up your refrigerator’s compressor. If it’s not working, your compressor will try to start, but may not have enough power to kick on.  A multimeter is needed to test the start capacitor.

Cause #8: Thermistor or Control board – The thermistor and control board are effectively the brains behind the operation. The thermistor is monitoring your refrigerator’s temperature, and tells the control board when to run the compressor and fans. The control board controls power to the compressor and fans.  If either isn’t working properly, your refrigerator will fail to cool properly.