You walk into the kitchen and there you notice your fridge is not cooling, but the freezer is working great. And you are surprised and thinking about yourself, what could be the reason for this problem? Then don’t worry. This is a common issue. It happens when there’s a problem with airflow, the thermostat, or other parts inside the fridge.
You can try several simple troubleshooting steps to fix the issue.
This blog covers how to fix the problem of your fridge not cooling while the freezer is still cold. It also looks at some possible causes. And what the important tips are to keep the fridge working properly.
Essential Causes Why the Fridge Is Not Cooling, But the Freezer is Working:
Here are a few potential causes of why your fridge is not cooling, but your fridge remains cold.
Over stuffing of items or Overloaded Fridge:
When your fridge is full and frozen, air can’t circulate well. This means the fridge won’t cool properly.
Frosted ice buildup:
Frost on the evaporator can cause uneven temperatures or poor cooling in the fridge. The freezer might still stay cold, though.
Blocked air vents:
The airflow between your fridge and freezer is blocked. This can happen if frozen veggies or plastic boxes are in the way. Then check the air vents in your freezer.
Damper control breaks down:
The damper often gets stuck closed or fails. As a result, cold air can’t reach the fridge section.
Dirty condenser coils:
Over time, dirt and blockages build up on condenser coils. This reduces the cooling system’s efficiency. As a result, dirty coils don’t dissipate heat properly, and the fridge does not cool efficiently.
Thermostat or temperature setting issue:
Sometimes, the thermostat temperature control board or settings may be unintentionally attuned. This may be the cause of insufficient or no cooling in the fridge while the freezer remains working or cold.
Evaporator fan is not working:
The fridge often doesn’t cool because the evaporator fan isn’t working. This fan circulates cold air.
How to Resolve the Fridge Is Not Cooling Issue With Easy Solutions:
Solution 1: Stop Over stuffing of items or Overloaded Fridge
One of the most common causes of this issue is over stuffing of food items. When the freezer is full, air can’t circulate properly, and as a result, the fridge is not cooling properly. Then the easy solution is that don’t over stuff your freezer.
Don’t overfill your fridge with food. It can block airflow and stop it from staying cold. Also, it may affect the fridge’s internal temperature, which needs sufficient cooling.
Solution 2: Damper Stuck or Malfunction
The damper is a tiny door that controls the flow of cold air that passes from the freezer to the fridge. In case the damper is stuck, stops up or not performing correctly, and then cold air won’t make the fridge warmer.
Make sure the damper doesn’t get stuck or damaged. If it does, it won’t let enough air flow to the fridge. In some cases, it found that the damper motor or control might be faulty.
How to check the damper control assemblage manually?
- First of all, unplug the fridge for safety.
- Get the damper located at the back of the fridge section
- Use a screwdriver to unscrew & remove the cover to defend the damper.
- Check the damper door and look for dirt or broken parts.
- Turn the fan on by decreasing the temperature on the thermostat.
- Wrap the inner light switch and reinstall the cover.
- Plug in the fridge and test the diverse temperatures to observe if the damper responds.
Solution 3: Clean the Dirty Condenser Coil
The condenser coils, placed on the backside of or bottom of your fridge or refrigerator. Over time, dirt and dust build up. This makes the fridge cooling system less efficient and reduces its performance. Also, dust coils load onto the fridge and work hard to cool down.
So, it’s necessary to clean the coils frequently. That would help to progress performance and your appliance generates great cooling efficiency.
How to Clean a Dirt Condenser Coil?
- Unplug your fridge and find the condenser coils.
- Remove the cover, if any, by using a screwdriver if required.
- Use a soft brush to gently clean dust off the condenser coils and fan.
- Wipe up with a soft and clean cloth.
- Once the clean work is done, reattach the cover and then plug the fridge back in.
Note: Ensure the cleaning process is done carefully. Avoid bending or damaging the tubes.
Solution 4: Defrost Frosted Ice Buildup
Frosted ice on the evaporator can cause the fridge to cool poorly. However, the freezer might still remain cold. Thus, you must try to run a Forced Defrost Cycle, which might be easier to defrost the unit manually.
Check your freezer door seal while performing the defrost cycle. If there’s no Frosted ice buildup, then move forward to the next solution.
Solution 5: Thermostat or Temperature Setting
Sometimes, the fridge may not receive the signal to cool, but the freezer works fine. This could be due to a problem with the thermostat or control board. So, the thermostat or temperature settings might be set incorrectly. This can cause the fridge to not cool enough, while the freezer stays cold.
Then try to set the temperature settings middle or lower than and then wait a few hours. You can also reach out to a fridge repair Dubai expert to fix the cooling problem.
Solution 6: Check Air Vents
The airflow between your fridge and freezer is blocked. This happens because of frozen vegetables or plastic boxes. That’s why your fridge is not cooling, but the freezer is cold. To resolve this blocked air vent issue, perform these steps.
- Then double-check the vents in the freezer.
- Try to reorganize your veggie, frozen foods to free up a little space.
- Defrost your freezer on time. Ice can build up because cold air isn’t moving between the freezer and fridge.
Solution 7: Check Evaporator Fan Motor
The fridge might not be receiving the cooling sign, due to the evaporator fan not functioning. The role of the evaporator fans is to move cold air from the freezer to the fridge. So, when the evaporator fan is not working your fridge is nor cooling while the freezer holds cold air. You will need checking if the evaporator fan motor is not leaking or defective.
You can get help from a professional to check the evaporator fan motor. If needed, they can replace it. The experts will help you fix your fridge. They will diagnose the problem using the latest tools.
Important Tips to Keep the Fridge Properly Working:
- Ensure you don’t overload or over stuff your fridge to allow air circulation inside.
- Try to set your fridge thermostat between 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make sure that your fridge condenser coils are not dirty; clean them every 3-4 months.
- Try to defrost your freezer if required to prevent ice buildup manually.
- Verify door seals or gaskets whenever you open the door.
- Ensure for no strange noise or heat, as it may point out a problem when it arises.
- Take immediate action to repair the broken internal components of the fridge.