Refrigerator Not Cooling? What to Check Before You Call for Repair

Inside a refrigerator, refrigerant absorbs heat from the air at a cold coil, usually behind a panel in the freezer. The compressor pumps that heat to the condenser coils, typically underneath or on the back, where a small fan blows it into the kitchen. Fans inside move cold air from the freezer into the fresh-food section. A warm fridge means heat is not getting out, cold air is not getting around, or warm air is getting in.

Before anything else, put an appliance thermometer in a glass of water on the middle shelf and read it after a few hours. The FDA’s target is 40°F (4°C) or below. See what temperature a refrigerator should be for the settings.

Eight checks, in order

1. Check the controls.

   Settings get bumped by hands and groceries. Whirlpool presets controls to the middle setting. Change one step at a time and wait 24 hours before judging the result.

2. Make sure it has power and is not in a demo or showroom mode.

   Lights on but no cooling can mean a demo mode left on from the store; your manual explains how to turn it off.

3. Clean the condenser coils.

   Unplug the fridge, remove the base grille (often two screws) and vacuum the grille, the area behind it and the coil surface with a soft brush. Whirlpool says dusty, greasy or pet-heavy homes may need this as often as every other month.

4. Give it room to breathe.

   Whirlpool calls for about 1/2 inch of clearance at the sides and 1 inch at the back, no blocked base grille, and no oven or radiator next to it.

5. Unblock the vents inside.

   Cold air enters from vents on the back wall and returns near the bottom. Packed shelves or a box against a vent stop the circulation.

6. Check the door seals.

   Close the door on a sheet of paper; it should resist when you pull it out. Clean gaskets with warm, soapy water. Maytag also recommends checking that the fridge is level, because a slight tilt can keep doors from sealing.

7. Limit warm loads and door openings.

   A big grocery run or long door openings can take several hours to recover from, Whirlpool notes.

8. Look and listen for the fans.

   With the door open and the light switch pressed, you can usually hear the freezer fan. At the back, the condenser fan should spin while the compressor runs (unplug before touching anything).

What the symptoms point to

Whirlpool lists the evaporator fan, condenser fan, compressor and start relay as internal parts best left to a professional.

A clicking sound with no cooling

A refrigerator that clicks every few minutes while staying warm often has a compressor that is trying to start and shutting itself off. That pattern is explained in why a refrigerator clicks. It usually needs a technician to test the start relay and compressor.

Repair or replace?

Coil cleaning, door gaskets and fans are modest repairs. A compressor or sealed-system leak on an older refrigerator often costs more than it is worth. The repair or replace calculator compares the repair to the fridge’s remaining life, and the energy cost calculator shows what an old, inefficient model is costing you to run.