The first self-contained home refrigerator, with a compressor located at the bottom of appliance, was invented in 1916. Within two years, this product was being mass produced by the Frigidaire company and has remained an indispensable part of our kitchens since. Being able to preserve our food and our beverages cold with such ease now seems like a constitutional right, but regular maintenance and also the occasional repair will always be necessary to keep a refrigerator cooling as expected. To properly troubleshoot the causes why a refrigerator would stop cooling, it's wise to understand how a refrigerator works.
How a refrigerator keeps things cool
A refrigerator really doesn't create coldness per se, but, instead, removes heat from the air traveling through the refrigerator and freezer compartments. To accomplish this, a refrigerator uses a compressor to function refrigerant through a set of coils, and fan motors to circulate the air. The compressor compresses the refrigerant in gas form into the condenser coils (often located at the bottom of the appliance) where the gas is then condensed into a hot liquid. The condenser coils dissipate the heat as the liquid travels through them. When the refrigerant reaches the evaporator coils (usually located behind a rear panel within the freezer compartment), it expands back into a gas which makes the coils cold. The gas is constantly on the flow through a suction line connected to the compressor which converts the gas back to a liquid and the cycle continues. A condenser fan motor assists the condenser coils in dissipating heat while an evaporator fan motor draws air over the cold evaporator coils then circulates that air through the refrigerator and freezer compartments.
Top reasons why a refrigerator doesn't cool
When everything is working properly, your refrigerator should maintain a consistently cool temperature around 40° Fahrenheit (4° Celsius) in the refrigerator compartment and 0° Fahrenheit (-18° Celsius) within the freezer compartment. If your appliance is having trouble staying cool, here are the six most common reasons, presented from probably to least likely:
- Dirty condenser coils – With time, the condenser coils can collect dirt, dust, and hair which hinder the coils' capability to dissipate the heat from the refrigerant passing with the coils. This can cause the refrigerator to prevent cooling. You should use a dedicated condenser coil cleaner brush to periodically clean the debris from the coils to keep the refrigeration system in good condition.
- Malfunctioning condenser fan motor – The condenser coils may also have trouble dissipating the heat if a malfunctioning condenser fan motor is unable to draw air past the coils. The fan motor can either fail mechanically or electrically. A broken fan blade or a blade that does not rotate freely is indicative of a mechanical failure; if the motor gets power, but doesn't run, then the motor has probably failed electrically.
- Defective evaporator fan motor – If the evaporator fan motor is defective, the cold air won't be circulated into the refrigerator compartment. If the motor is unusually noisy once the refrigerator is running, or even the fan blade does not rotate freely, you should replace the motor with a new one. You may also use a multimeter to test the motor for continuity – a continuing electrical path present in the part. If the motor tests negative for continuity, you know that it has failed electrically.
- Faulty start relay or capacitor – The start relay or capacitor works with the start winding to cycle the compressor on-and-off. When the relay or capacitor are malfunctioning, the compressor may fail to cycle properly or might not work at all. You can test a start relay for electrical continuity using a multimeter to determine if it has failed. An analog-style Ohm meter may be used to test a capacitor's ability to release its charge while a capacitor meter (or perhaps a multimeter with a capacitor testing function) can determine if the component has a strong enough capacitance rating to start the compressor.
- Evaporator frosted over – While the evaporator coils will collect frost during normal operation, excessive frost build-up can cause the refrigerator to stop cooling. To avoid becoming frosted-over, evaporator coils require periodic defrosting. Should you own an older model, you may have to do this manually, but most modern refrigerators make use of an automatic defrost system consisting of a defrost heater, defrost thermostat, and defrost control (which may be a defrost timer or a defrost control board with respect to the refrigerator model). You can use a multimeter to test the heater and thermostat for electrical continuity, even though the thermostat will need to be tested in a temperature of 15° Fahrenheit or lower for any proper reading. If both the heater and thermostat test positive for continuity, then it's likely the defrost control is defective.
- Malfunctioning temperature control board – While it isn't a common problem, the refrigerator's temperature control board might be malfunctioning and unable to direct voltage to the compressor and/or the two fan motors. Since the board can not be easily tested, you need to confirm the other components are working properly before you consider replacing this part.
Find the best refrigerator parts with Repair Clinic
To look for a complete list of replacement appliance parts that fit your refrigerator, enter the full model no . of the appliance in the Repair Clinic website search bar. You can then use the part category and part title filters to narrow that jot down to the specific part you'll need, from condenser and evaporator fan motors and blades to start relays, capacitors, and defrost system components. You can even get a dedicated condenser coil cleaning brush to keep up with your maintenance. While Repair Clinic stocks parts for the top brands in refrigeration, including KitchenAid, GE, Kenmore, LG, Samsung, and Frigidaire, you'll want to make sure you're purchasing the exact part that matches your model.
