In this day and age, who can afford to throw out any food? I know I can’t! But what happens when you may have no choice? You come down in the morning to grab that first glass of OJ, and when you open the fridge, you notice the temperature is off and the refrigerator is not cooling.
While you may need to call an appliance repair technician, you can follow a few troubleshooting tips to see if you can fix it on your own.
Checklist for Refrigerator Not Cooling
Check Thermostat – this should be a no-brainer, but you would be amazed how many people accidentally change the thermostat settings. It can be as simple as brushing against the dial when you are putting your groceries away. Before you do anything else, check the settings to ensure they were not accidentally changed.
Check Door Seals – this is another common problem, especially for older fridges. If the door seals have been compromised, closed or not, the refrigerator will lose cooling. Not only that, it will constantly run, jacking up your electric bill. This can happen from dirt and grim to use over time. Make a regular habit of cleaning your seals, which is also a great time to inspect them. Doing them quarterly should be more than enough, with a yearly cleaning being the minimal.
Check Door Switch – This is a quick and easy check on your part. Open up the door, then manually push the switch in. If the light is not going off, there is a problem. This is likely not something you can fix on your own, so you will need to call in an appliance repair technician to address this issue.
Check Circulation – I am sure you have noticed over the years that a packed fridge is very difficult to keep cool. If items are blocking the air vents, it will prohibit the proper airflow and not allow the refrigerator to hit its optimal temperature. If you have had spills in the fridge, this could also gunk up the vents, so it may just need some TLC to start working again properly.
Check Coils – Over time, dust and debris can gather on the coils, possibly causing a cooling problem for the fridge. Again, when you check those gaskets, make it a habit of pulling out the refrigerator to check the coils. Give them a quick dusting to ensure excess heat is not building up, impacting your fridge’s ability to cool.
Call the Appliance Repair Technician – if the fridge is still not working properly, it is time to call the repairman. The good news is that you have already checked off a bunch of the boxes that he or she will go over when you call as they try to dissect the problem. It will enable the technician to diagnose the issue quicker, saving you a few dollars on that repair bill.
